


As Long As You're Mine

by fangs_for_the_memories



Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Wizard of Oz Fusion, F/F, Wicked AU, Wizard of Oz References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-07-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 17:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 83,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13686396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangs_for_the_memories/pseuds/fangs_for_the_memories
Summary: Carmilla is a freak, an orphan born with green skin adopted by a rich family trying to become more powerful.  Laura is the daughter of a governor, intent on following her parents' footsteps and help people.  While the rest of Oz is suffering from rebellions and hate crimes, they've both been sent to Shiz, forced to room together.When they realize Animals have gone missing, they decide to take the case to the Wizard of Oz.Or rather, the Wicked!AU with a Hollstein twist I've been powering through for the past few months.Updates every Friday (for now!)





	1. Dear Old Shiz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura, daughter of Governor Hollis of Munchkinland Country, shows up at Shiz hoping to learn magic to help people. Carmilla, an orphan, is sent to Shiz keep an eye on her adoptive brother Kirsch. And that's when things get Wicked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you follow me on tumblr, you might have noticed my crazy self decided to take on the task of writing a fluffy and crazy Wicked!AU for our favorite lovely idiots. It started out as a planned twenty chapters but I've been having so much fun with them I added a couple more subplots and some more fluff so now it's gonna be about twenty-five chapters. It's not done yet so _for now_ I'll just be posting one update a week instead of my usual 2-3 updates.  
>  I just really wanted to start posting today so I could say-- **HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, CREAMPUFFS!** Love you all  <3 so here's the first three chapters :)

Laura Hollis takes a deep breath as she steps out of the huge carriage about a mile from campus.  Her father had ordered the driver to not leave her unattended until she was visually confirmed to be with William Luce, the young man in charge of the school.  But with a pout and some light begging, Samuel had agreed to drop Laura off away from the eyes of her fellow classmates.  After all, them seeing her in an extravagant carriage would already turn some heads.  And she just wanted to go to Shiz to learn.

She’d always wanted to go to Shiz.  From the moment she learned that this was where her parents had met, she and her best friend Betty had dreamed about going to Shiz together and learning magic.  To help save the world.

 

And when Betty died, that just made the need to make her dream come true-- _their_ dream-- even stronger.  

 

Except, when Laura started applying to Shiz, she found out that the new headmaster had declared they’d no longer be teaching magic.

Well, that just wouldn’t do, would it?

 

Laura waves goodbye to Samuel, promising to call for him if she ever needed him.  After all, in recent years, she’d seen a lot more of him than of her own father.

She knows her dad loves her.  And she knows that with the growing dissent across various citizens throughout Oz, his job was only getting more and more difficult.

Which is all the more reason why she doesn’t want her new classmates to know who her father is.

 

Because there would be an assumption that she has ulterior motives.

Which she does.

Just not the ones other people would think she has.

 

Laura’s so lost in her thoughts by the time she’s made it past the Shiz gates that she doesn’t look where she’s going-- and collides right into another girl.

“Watch where you’re going, spaz,” the girl growls.

Laura stumbles, trying to regain her balance.  She vaguely realizes everyone is looking in their direction and can’t figure out why-- until she sees who she bumped into.

 

The girl was green.  Her skin was _green_.

“Uh-Uhm. Uhmm.”

People weren’t staring at Laura bumping into the girl.  They were staring at the _girl_.

Laura’s eyes quickly scan the crowd and their faces seem to be varying degrees of disgust.

She slowly looks back at the girl-- and can’t understand how anyone could be repulsed by her.

 

First of all, the green is a startling shade of emerald.  It’s positively fluorescent, glowing and shining.  In fact, it seems to electrify the air around her.

Second of all, there is some kind of profound loneliness in her eyes.  A lifetime of being feared or regarded as a freak is evident the moment Laura gazes into them.

And, third of all… the girl herself is gorgeous.  So gorgeous that Laura finds herself gawking.

Which is obviously mistaken for staring with another intent.

 

“What? What are you looking at? Oh, do I have something in my teeth?” the girl barks sarcastically. “Okay, let's get this over with. No, I'm not seasick. Yes, I've always been green. No, I didn't chew grass as a child.  So with all that-- are you done?” she snarls. “Or do you want more time to come up with a proper enough insult for my skin color?”

“Insult?” Laura asks, confused.  “No, I w-wasn’t gonna… If anything, I was going to… Uhm.  Just.  Wow.  You’re really pretty, is all.”

The girl seems taken aback, if only for a second.  She looks at Laura, _really_ looks at her, and realizes she’s not regarding her with disgust like everyone else.

 

“Yeah, pretty _ugly_ ,” a guy says from behind Laura, nudging her and bursting out into laughter.

“Just.  Stay the hell away from me,” the girl growls before she frowns and promptly runs away from them, grumbling but clearly hurt by the guy’s words.

“Have I seen you before?” the guy asks Laura.

She frowns.  “No, I don’t think so.  And what you said to that girl?  Not nice.”

He shrugs without comment and walks away.

 

Another guy walks up to Laura, and he seems much more warm and friendly.  “Hi, little hottie.”

“Laura,” she replies.

His eyebrows furrow in confusion.  “What?”

“My name is Laura.  Kind of insulting to just call me ‘hottie,’” Laura explains gently.

“Oh!  Sorry!”  He seems genuinely apologetic.  “ _Laura_ , have you seen my sister?  Well, she’s adopted, but she’s still my sister.  She’s, uhm...”  He clears his throat awkwardly.  “Green.”

Laura perks up.  “Oh, yeah! You just missed her.  She went...”  Laura starts to point in the direction the girl left in, but is interrupted.

 

“Ah!  Wilson Kirsch,” a young man greets.  “Your father asked me to look after you.  I’m William Luce. You can call me Will.”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “Will!  My name is Laura Hol--”

“I don’t care,” he says dismissively, keeping his attention on Kirsch.  “So, I was thinking--”

 

“There you are,” the green girl says, not needing to push her way through the crowd to make it back to Kirsch.  “I told you to keep up.”

Will looks her up and down, his lip turning up in disgust.  “You must be… Carmilla.  The orphan.”

She narrows her eyes at him. “Must I be?”

“Your adoptive parents told me about you.  Or should I say, _warned_ me?”

“ _My_ parents sent me here to keep an eye on my brother,” Carmilla snaps.  “To make sure he stays on top of his schoolwork.”

Will sneers at her.  “Ah, yes.  I was told about this whole Sarah Jane situation.”

 

Laura feels a tap on her back and she turns around, before realizing she has to adjust her line of sight—downward.

A munchkin with red hair stands before her.  “Uhm.  Hi.”

“Hi,” Laura greets brightly.

“I’m Danny.  Danny Lawrence.”

“I’m Laura.”

Danny smiles up at her.  “Well, I noticed you’re new here.  And I wanted to tell you that if you ever need anything, to let me know.  I’m the resident advisor, as well as the teaching assistant for a few of the freshman courses.”

Laura perks up.  “What about Matska Belmonde’s course?”

Danny laughs at that.  “She hasn’t taught here in years.  Will won’t let her unless there’s an explicit order from the Wizard.”

“But if the Wizard tells him to, he’d do it?”

Danny nods.

“I’m gonna ask him to make sure,” Laura says excitedly, wandering over.

 

“…So sorry to hear your fiancée died so suddenly.  Here at Shiz, I’m pleased to say whether you're here to study logic, literature, or linguification, I know I speak for my fellow faculty members when I say we have nothing but the highest hopes for some of you,” Will is saying to Kirsch.  He pauses before a devilish smile creeps onto his face.  “Would you be willing to live with me?  I know it might be weird for a student to live with the headmaster, but I think it would make looking after you much easier, as well as appease your father, as he made his concern for your wellbeing quite clear. So, I think it would be best if you share my private compartment where I can assist you as needed...”

“ _No_ ,” Carmilla answers just as Kirsch begins eagerly nodding.  “That is _not_ happening. Besides, who would I live with?”

Laura steps forward to interrupt.  “Will, I would like to--”

Will smirks.  “Great!  You do have that lovely private suite.  Carmilla, you can live with this random volunteer.”

 

Laura and Carmilla’s eyes widen at the same time and they both share a look and shake their heads.

“No!  I wasn’t volunteering!  I just wanted to say I would like to speak with you about a Matska Belmonde course--”

“Later,” Will replies dismissively, already walking off with Kirsch, who waves a sheepish goodbye to Carmilla.

 

But Carmilla doesn’t notice, because she’s glaring at Laura.

Laura clears her throat awkwardly as Carmilla lets out a long sigh.  “Guess I’m your new roommate, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >>


	2. What Is This Feeling?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Carmilla quickly jump to hating cohabiting with each other. When Laura continues her mission to get Matska Belmonde to come to Shiz to teach her magic, she finds out a secret Carmilla has been hiding.

“And then when I asked her why she wears so much black, she yelled, ‘Because I clash with everything!’ Which… was true in more ways than one.  It’s just been awful,” Laura grumbles to Danny.  “If she doesn’t have class, she sleeps until like, 5pm. She steals my food and my hot chocolate packets when she thinks I’m not looking but I mean, come on, who else could it be?  And she leaves her hair in the shower drain. I swear when I tried to clean it out this morning, the clump actually growled at me.”

Danny laughs at Laura’s antics.  “Can I see the letter you’re sending your dad?”

Laura nods and starts to hand it over, but Danny shakes her head.

“Actually, I think it’d be more entertaining if you read it out loud to me.”

 

Laura scowls but does as asked.

“ _ Dear Dad, _

_ There's been some confusion over rooming here at Shiz.  For you see, my roommate is unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe— _ ”

Danny lets out a scoff.  “Do you mean ‘green?’”

Laura nods.  “But what if she calls it like, emerald?  I didn’t want to be colorist.”

Danny rolls her eyes and Laura continues.

 

“ _There’s this feeling, so sudden and new.  The things she does—it gets my pulse rushing, my head reeling, my face flushing.  It’s like a loathing, unadulterated loathing.  Over her face, her voice, her clothing – I loathe it all—every little every little trait, however small. Dad, it’s like there’s a strange exhilaration in such total detestation.”_  Laura pauses when Danny lets out a snort of laughter and waits for her to stop before she continues. _“Though I do admit it came on fast… Still I do believe that it can last, and I will be loathing her whole life long._ ”

“You don’t think this is all coming out a little bit… lyrical?” Danny asks.

 

“Maybe.  I just don’t understand how I got stuck with someone so lacking in motivation to do anything with their lives.  She has no goals, no aspirations.  It’s like she’d be fine following orders for centuries if she could,” Laura growls.

Danny laughs.  “Not all of us can have a five-year plan board that’s constantly being updated, Hollis.”

Laura gives her a pointed look.  “You were there yesterday when she burst into the room when we were studying and I’d fallen asleep and she screamed BOO in my face and scared the puff out of my huffle.  And when she took my yellow pillow to nap on.  My YELLOW PILLOW.  She left drool marks, Danny!”

 

“Okay, okay, true. How do you stand it? I don't think I could,” Danny relents. “She’s a terror you’re forced to reside with.  I’d tell you to live here but we have most of the Summer Society girls here.  As you can see.”

One girl walks by with a scowl.  “Please tell me we’re not pledging non-munchkins for the sake of diversity.”

“I’m not rushing,” Laura replies.  “Just hanging out here.”

“Yeah, you’d better be,” the girl grumbles before walking away.

Danny stifles some laughter.  “That’s Mel.  My roommate.”

“She clearly loves me,” Laura remarks dryly.  “Almost as much as Will does.”

 

Danny clicks her tongue.  “Still no agreement to getting Matska Belmonde to come here and teach you magic?”

“ _ No _ ,” Laura growls.  “But I’m heading to his office again to make another request.”

“You must be  _ real _ popular everywhere you go,” Mel comments from across the room, packing arrows into a quiver.  “Daughter of the governor who was in office during the biggest munchkin rebellion in history.”

Laura rolls her eyes and gets up to leave.  “I don’t care about being popular.  I just want to learn magic to help people.”

 

Mel’s movements stop and she looks over at Laura, slightly taken aback.

“What?” Laura asks.

“Nothing,” Mel mumbles, returning to her task.  “Just might’ve misread you, Hollis.  Don’t let it get to your head.”

Danny grins at Laura, who smiles back.  “Of course not.  See you guys later.”

 

She leaves and makes her way back to Will’s office.  She’s been such a frequent visitor that the assistant waves Laura through, clearly not wanting to be on the receiving end of more of Laura’s ranting.

In fact, the assistant sends Laura through with such haste, she forgets that he already has a couple of visitors.

Laura hears a voice and stops outside the doorway.

_ Carmilla _ .

 

“ _ \--His parents-- our parents--  _ Mr. and Mrs. Kirsch _ are beyond pissed off at me, _ ” Carmilla growls at Will.  “ _ They only sent me here and are paying for me so I could keep an eye on Will.  Which I can’t do because he is living with you. _ ”

“ _ This sounds like a You problem, not a Me problem _ ,” he scoffs.  “ _ They’re more than happy with me keeping a close eye on him.  So it seems that the problem here is that there is no reason for you to stay at this school.  Also because no one would miss you. _ ”

There’s a quiet rumble from the room, almost as if there was a small earthquake happening in the room.  Laura starts to burst in and say he can’t talk to her that way, but Kirsch speaks up first.

“ _ Dude, back off.  That’s my sister. _ ”

_ “Adopted. More like a pet, really, _ ” Will retorts.

More rumbling.

 

Kirsch clears his throat nervously.  “ _ Bro, seriously… _ ”

“ _ Your life serves no purpose in Kirsch’s house, and it serves no purpose here-- _ ”

There’s a loud  _ BOOM,  _ followed by crashing within the room.  Laura runs in, eyes wide when she finds that everything has been blasted away to the edge of Will’s office—with Carmilla in the center.

“Tried to warn you, dude,” Kirsch says to Will.  “She gets scary when she gets angry.”

 

“Are you okay?” Laura asks Carmilla, who mumbles a response that sounds like “ _ better than the furniture, anyway _ .”

Will regards Carmilla carefully.  “You… Y-You have the gift of magic?”

“Less of a gift, more of a curse,” Carmilla grumbles.

Will hums in response.  “One moment.”  He walks back out, towards his secretary’s desk.

“You’ve always had powers?” Laura asks carefully.

 

Carmilla sighs.  She seems hesitant to meet Laura’s eyes, unsure if she’ll find fear and terror in them.  When she finally does, she finds nothing but interest and maybe even concern. “Yeah.”

Will walks back in.  “I’ve just enrolled you into Matska Belmonde’s course. She does not teach her seminar every semester, unless, of course, somebody special were to come along.  You’ll receive a letter shortly with the course description.  She’ll teach you how to hone your skills.”

Carmilla regards him carefully. “Thanks… I guess.”  

Laura clears her throat.  “So, I can enroll, too, right?”

Will laughs cruelly in her face. “No.”

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “ _ What? _  Why not?”

“Because I said so.  And like I said, you need to be someone  _ special _ ,” Will sneers with a shrug.  He turns his attention back to Carmilla.  “I will tell your parents about this newest development.  I assume they’ve already known about your abilities?”

Carmilla nods.

“Good.  And, who knows?  Maybe one day if you get powerful enough, you can meet the Wizard.”

 

Laura manages to close her mouth, but instead glares at Will.  “This isn’t fair.  I want to—”

“I really don’t care,” he says flatly.  “I have a meeting with… Oh, who am I kidding? I just wanna get out of here.”  He turns and leaves his office.  “Hang around and continue whining to the empty space if you want.  Come on, Kirsch.  I’ve got a foosball table with our names on it.”

Kirsch perks up at that and follows Will out.  “Really?  Wow.  I’ve already seen volleyballs with my name on them.  Now, foosball tables, too?”

 

Laura and Carmilla head back to their room in silence, but Laura is clearly seething in anger.

When they finally make it back, Laura sits at her computer chair and opens her thermos of hot chocolate from earlier.  “I can’t believe you got into a course with Matska Belmonde.”

Carmilla shrugs.  “What’s the big deal?”

“‘What’s the big deal?’” Laura asks, whirling around so fast that Carmilla’s surprised she didn’t get whiplash. “‘ _ What’s the big deal? _ ’”

“Wow!  And obnoxiously large life planning board  _ and _ a parrot.  This room really does have it  _ all _ ,” Carmilla quips.

Laura lets out a huff before her face softens.  “Matska Belmonde is pretty much the only remaining magic user in all of Oz.  And she’s a Goat!  Do you know how  _ rare _ that is?”  There’s a twinkle in her eyes. She seems genuinely happy and excited for Carmilla. “Some say she learned directly from the Wizard. She once took on an entire troll army and bent them to her will. She’s rumored to have the ability to create sonic waves with her mouth. Also rumored to be immortal, which makes sense coz she taught my mom and hasn’t aged a day since.”

“Oh, I get it,” Carmilla replies snidely.  She walks over to a giant board Laura had put up in the room, covered with index cards that list goals for the next five years.  “You’re trying to be just like your mommy.  And the fact that the world doesn’t seem to want that must be making you even more uptight than usual.”

 

Laura clenches her jaw as she stares at her five year plans.  “I’m not asking to join Belmonde’s course so I can be like my mom.”  She takes a deep breath.  “Or… that’s not the  _ only _ reason, anyway.”

“You’re killing me, Hollis.”  Carmilla rolls her eyes. “But whatever helps you sleep at night, hon.  All I’m saying is starting at a school like this is all about compromising your expectations and your spoiled ass has probably never been told ‘no’ before.”

Laura gets to her feet and walks across the room so she’s only a couple feet from Carmilla now.  “You don’t know anything about me.”

“No?”  Carmilla gestures at the room around them.  “This was supposed to be a single for you, right? How does a little high strung girl like you end up with the second-biggest dorm room in Shiz, right after the headmaster?”

When she’s met with no reply, Carmilla continues.

“Could it be, Laura  _ Hollis _ , that it’s because your dad is  _ Governor Hollis _ ?”

Laura swallows hard, clearly trying to contain her own anger.

“So, cupcake, I was raised as a freaky green adopted child. And you were raised by  _ two _ parents, one of whom is a  _ governor _ .  I’d say you’re pretty friggin’ spoiled.  You’re just gonna have to learn that life ain’t fair, sweetheart.”

 

This seems to hit a nerve.  “You wanna talk spoiled?” Laura blurts out.  “You are probably the only person our age in all of Oz to have magical abilities.  And you don’t even care.  You have no drive or ambition to do anything with your life.”  She scoffs.  “You were born with a gift that you could use to help people and you’re being given a chance to learn how to use it, and you can’t see how lucky you are.”

“‘Lucky?’ You call this… th-this  _ CURSE _ lucky?” Carmilla snarls.  “Do you have any idea the amount of pain my ‘gifts’ have caused me? They’ve done nothing but make me a  _ freak _ . You really think they could ever do a lick of actual good?”  She shakes her head.  “You’re a child.  And you understand nothing.  Not about life.  Not about magic.  And certainly not about what it takes to survive in a world that—”  She brushes past Laura and opens the dorm door. “You know what?  The sooner you stop pretending like you belong at Shiz any more than I do, the better off you’ll be.”

 

With that, she storms out of the room and slams the door behind her.  A stunned silence follows.

Laura flops down onto her bed and lets out a long sigh.  “Fine, Hollis.  If you can’t use powers to help people, you’re just gonna have to do it the old fashioned way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >>


	3. Seen and Not Heard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After an incident in the classroom sparks a realization in Laura, Carmilla comes to an understanding about her prissy little roommate.

“So you guys haven’t spoken for a couple weeks?” Danny asks as they walk to class.

Laura shakes her head.  “She’s still not speaking to me but we also don’t see each other much.  Ever since that day in Will’s office, she gets passes on attending classes.  All she has to do is wake up at 5pm for her lessons with Matska Belmonde.”  She raises her hand up.  “Sorry.   _Mattie_.”

Danny snorts.  “She calls her Mattie?”

“Yeah.  The other day I tried extending the olive branch and asked Carmilla to show me something. But she flipped me off, so…”

“Yikes.”

 

There’s rapid footsteps approaching them from behind and they turn to find Mel.  “You ready for the new lady?”

Laura frowns.  “What new lady.

“You didn’t hear?  They switched out Ms. Scott for a new instructor.”

Laura frowns as she opens the classroom door for them to go through.  “Switching with who?  Are they even a worthy replacement?”

Mel starts to reply, but they’ve already entered the classroom.

“You tell me,” a voice says.  “Carmilla, do you think I’ll be worthy enough for this girl?”

Laura freezes in place.  “Oh, my god.  You’re…”

Carmilla grins smugly at her.  “This is _the_ Matska Belmonde.”

 

Laura runs up to Mattie.  “I-I didn’t mean to insult you.  I just… And, anyway, you’re one of my heroes.  Both for your work with magic and as an Animal.  I mean, your magical exploits are so inspiring and-and you taught my mom magic and I’ve always wanted to learn from you, and—”

“Sit down,” Mattie says coldly.  “Now.”

Laura gulps and does as told.

 

“I was trying to tell you and warn you,” Mel whispers.

Laura drops her head to the desk with a _thud_.  This gets an amused look from Carmilla and Mattie, who resume their chit chat for the next few minutes.

 

Kirsch enters the classroom and a couple guys sitting in the back wave at him to come sit with them.  He politely shakes his head and goes to the front of the room instead, settling in beside Carmilla, who’s otherwise sitting alone.  She gives him an affectionate punch on the arm and he grins at her.

The rest of the class trickles in and Mattie soon takes her place at the front of the room.  The chalkboard has stuff written on it from the previous class and Mattie frowns down at her black suit.  Rather than use the eraser, she flips the board over.

 

The entire class gasps.

 

The words, "Animals should be seen and not heard” cover the board.

Mattie turns around, seething.  “Who. Did. This.”

No one answers and she stomps a hoof on the floor.

“ _WHO DID THIS?_ ”

“Whoever did, would you say they’re baaaaaah-d?” one of the guys who waved at Kirsch calls out.

A fireball whizzes across the classroom and narrowly misses him.  He yelps and leaps out of his seat, staring wide-eyed at the scorch mark on the wall.

“What the hell?  Crazy Goat!” he yells.

Mattie’s nostrils flare in anger as she forms another fireball in her hands.

 

Laura jumps out of her seat and steps in front of Mattie.  “Wait!”

“Get out of the way, you gnat,” Mattie growls in her face.

“He’s not worth losing your job over,” Laura says softly but firmly.

Mattie glares down into Laura’s eyes before taking a deep breath and suppressing the fire ball.  “Class is over early today.  Mr. Straka, be prepared to be summoned in front of the headmaster for your behavior today,” she says with an eerie calm.

Theo grumbles as he’s the first one out of the classroom.

 

Everyone exits after, except for Laura, who notices Carmilla’s stayed behind to check on Mattie.

“You okay?” Carmilla asks.

Mattie scoffs.  “Not the first time this has happened.  Won’t be the last.”

“Have you told Will about it in the past?” Laura asks.

Mattie glances over at Laura and gives a heavy sigh.  “What would that accomplish?  Hell, I’m not even sure Mr. Straka’s comment should be reported.”

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “What?  Why not?”

“It used to be you could walk down the halls of Shiz and see an antelope explicating a sonnet, a snow leopard solving an equation, a wildebeest waxing philosophic.  But since the famine of Munchkin Country that spread onwards, the people looked for someone to blame.  And so, it fell on us Animals.  There has been an… increase in hate crimes against animal-people in the past decade,” Mattie replies.  She crosses her arms.  “Graffiti.  Shouts of slurs.  Even violence and attacks.  And more.”

Laura swallows hard.  She’d known about this, but seeing it at Shiz, historically known for its tolerance, made it even more awful.

 

Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion.  “Wait, what do you mean by ‘and more?’”

Mattie shifts uneasily, which makes Laura nervous considering her earlier air of security.  “Kidnappings.  Possible… experimentation.”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “As in… animals go missing and then return different than before?”

Mattie lets out a shaky breath.  “We’re not discussing this matter any further, Ms. Hollis.”  She brushes past Laura and heads for the door.

“But--”

“ _Class is dismissed_ , Ms. Hollis,” Mattie snaps as her heels echo down the hall.

 

Laura and Carmilla share a look.

“You heard her.  Nothing to kick up a fuss about.  It’s happening everywhere,” Carmilla says, also leaving the classroom.

Laura quickens her pace and catches up to her.  “The fact that no one will kick up a fuss is the _reason_ it’s happening everywhere!”

“And?  You’re safe.  You’re a human and the daughter of a governor.  Why does it even matter to a prissy little cupcake like you?”  Carmilla snaps as she tries to walk faster.

“That’s _IT_!” Laura yells, making Carmilla jump.

 

They both stop in the middle of the empty hallway. “I’m sick of you assuming that just because I got a huge room at Shiz, that I’ve _had it easy_ .  You’re _not_ the only one who’s gone through crap, Carmilla!”

Carmilla swallows hard, staring at Laura as she tries to take deep breaths so her anger goes away.  Tears form in Laura’s eyes and she storms off.

 _What the heck was that outburst?_ Carmilla frets.   _Did I misread her_?

 

Suddenly her experiences with Laura the past few weeks come back to her.

Laura calling her pretty upon bumping into her, rather than regarding her with fear and disgust.

Her asking if Carmilla was okay after her magical outburst in Will’s office.

The sincere enthusiasm on Carmilla’s behalf for being able to learn magic from Mattie.

Carmilla had been so used to people being terrified of her and hating her from the moment they saw her green skin that she’d never even paused to consider that Laura’s kindness might be genuine.

 _And now that last bit of kindness she was willing to offer me is probably gone_.

 

She glumly heads back to the room, which is coincidentally where Laura had apparently stormed off to.  She’s staring into her mug of hot chocolate, zoned out.

“Hey,” Carmilla says lamely.

Laura sniffles and looks at her.  “Hey.”

Carmilla sighs.  “Look.  I don’t think I’ve been entirely fair to you.  You’ve been pretty much nothing but kind to me, even if you’re annoying about it.”

Laura pouts and Carmilla clears her throat.

“What I’m trying to say is, I’m sorry I assumed you’re some spoiled brat.”

“You’re apologizing?” Laura asks, shocked.

Carmilla stuffs her hands in her pockets and shrugs.  “Yeah, pigs will start flying any second now.”

“I think they did over in Western Oz a couple months ago,” Laura says with a small giggle.  “When the munchkins called my dad’s office, we thought it was a prank call.  Until we saw it from our window.  It looked like a cloud of pink cotton candy.”

Carmilla chuckles as she finally walks and sits on her bed.

 

They sit in silence for a few seconds before Laura takes a deep breath.  “My best friend’s name was Betty.  She was a centaur.  We grew up together, had the same dream of going to Shiz together, of helping people.  We talked about it so much that my dad had this room booked for the two of us since we were kids.”  She smiles back on her memories fondly before clearing her throat.  “A couple years ago, she went missing.  She was gone for weeks.”

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  She vaguely remembers Governor Hollis from the East giving speeches, pleading for the finding or release of a centaur named Elizabeth Spielsdorf.   _But then…_

“As quickly as she went missing, she turned up one night.  Just on the edge of town, by the woods.  I was so happy.”  Laura swallows hard.  “But she wasn’t the same.  She was… well, animalistic.  Couldn’t speak, couldn’t reason.  At first we thought it was the trauma of whatever happened to her.  And that’s still the working theory.  But…”

“You don’t buy it,” Carmilla surmises.

Laura shakes her head.  “We’re not talking night terrors and flashbacks.  I’m talking about some kind of primal, constant panicked rage.  She did not come back the Betty I knew.”  Laura’s voice cracks.  “About a week after she returned, she escaped from the room the healer had her in and attacked someone within an inch of their life.  The guards put her down right there.”  Her voice cracks.  “I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye.”

 

“I’m sorry.  That’s awful.”  Carmilla frowns.  “What do you think happened to her?”

“I don’t know.”  Laura shrugs with a sniffle.  “But if what Mattie mentioned before—kidnappings and possible experimentation, are true...  Then maybe that’s what happened to Betty.”

Carmilla lets out a long exhale.  “If it _is_ true, then it’s probably better that Mattie changed the topic.  No need to poke at things this dangerous.”

 

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “That’s all the more reason!  I thought Betty was an isolated case, but if she was just one in a long string of kidnapping victims, then I gotta look into it!”

“You’re kidding, right?”  Carmilla scoffs.  She searches Laura’s face, which remains as resolute as ever.  “You’re not kidding.”

“No. It's time to trust my instincts.  Close my eyes and leap.” Laura shakes her head in defiance.  

 

She pulls out an index card from her desk drawer and writes “ _Solve missing Animals case!_ ” on it, then walks across the room and tacks it onto her giant planning board.   “I’m getting to the bottom of this.  Do you want to help?”

Carmilla lets out a snort.  “Look, cupcake, just because I no longer thing you’re a spoiled princess doesn’t mean we’re friends, okay?”

Laura sighs.  “Fine.  Fair enough.”  She gets up and heads for the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To ask my friends for help,” Laura replies as she leaves.

 

She doesn’t use a cold or snippy tone—just matter-of-fact.

Carmilla frowns.   _Then why do I still feel so upset about it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How are we feeling about this so far?  
> As always, feel free to chat in the comments or if you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). The next update *should* come on Friday but might wind up being pushed to Saturday since it's the Black Panther premiere AND Lunar New Year lmao  
> Stay awesome and Happy Valentine's Day <3


	4. Under My Umbrella

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Laura and Danny's investigation hits a dead end, she decides to go back to Mattie and ask some questions. She bumps into Carmilla, leading to some secrets being shared and them realizing maybe they were put together for a reason, after all.

Danny taps her finger on the tabletop impatiently as the phone continues to ring.  Finally someone answers the call.  “Hello?”

“Yes?” a confused voice replies.

“Professor Nazneen?”

“Speaking.”

Danny clears her throat and braces herself.  “I was wondering if you’d be willing to answer some questions regarding missing Animal-people and--”

There’s a  _ click _ and Danny sighs.

“Another one?” Laura asks, dejectedly hanging up her own phone and taking a sip of some hot chocolate.  Danny nods morosely. “Yeah, Dr. Ramanujan hung up on me, too.”

She lets out a groan and lets her head drop to the desk with a  _ thud _ .  “Why won’t anyone even hear us out?”

Danny sighs and pats her leg.  “If there is an actual conspiracy out there, who knows who’s involved and how high up it goes?  People could be scared for a reason.”

 

Laura huffs and stands up.  “Well,  _ I’m _ not scared.   _ We’re _ not scared.”  She rolls her eyes.  “Unlike a certain roommate of mine.”

Danny looks around Laura’s room.  “Where is she, anyway?  Lessons with Mattie?”

Laura nods before she gets an idea.  She grabs her room key and excitedly heads for the door.  “Time to revisit my original source of information!”

“Wait!” Danny calls out, making Laura stop short.  “It’s raining out.”

“Oh.  Thanks,” Laura says, grabbing her umbrella and running out.

Danny gets up and follows her out, closing the door behind her with a giggle.  “See you later, Hollis.”

“Later!” Laura shouts back, already in the next hallway.

 

She makes it across campus when Laura spots Carmilla about to leave Mattie’s building.

Laura waves at her.  “Hey!”

“Hey,” Carmilla greets neutrally, getting ready to open her umbrella.

“Done with your lesson?”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “No, I’m out here testing umbrellas for Mattie,” she deadpans.

Laura huffs.  “A simple ‘no’ would suffice.”

 

There’s a loud snort from behind Laura and Carmilla glares at the source.  Laura turns and sees Theo with a group of friends.  “Haven’t you learned better since the first day?  Why are you still talking to this  _ freak _ ?  She’s just like a barely-sentient avocado.  You don’t have to pay it any mind.”

“And I told  _ you _ the first day to be nice to her.  She deserves better than the way you all treat her,” Laura snaps.  Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Carmilla look shocked for a moment before returning to her usual blasé expression.

Theo scoffs.  “She doesn’t even deserve to  _ be here _ .”  He reaches forward and yanks the umbrella out of Carmilla’s hand and, before anyone can act, snaps the ribs and stretchers off the shaft.  With a sneer, he drops the metal rods to the ground and walks away, high-fiving his friends with obnoxious laughter.

Laura and Carmilla stand in place, staring down at the broken umbrella in shock.

“Be my alibi coz I’m gonna kill him,” Laura growls, rolling up her sleeves and starting to follow them.

“Laura, no.”  Without thinking, Carmilla reaches out and grabs her by the elbow to stop her.  Laura looks down at the contact and Carmilla quickly withdraws her hand and clears her throat.  “It’s j-just, if… if you kill Theo, then Will would probably expel you from Shiz, and your dad probably wouldn’t let me stay in that room by myself.”

Laura giggles, not buying her explanation for a moment.  “Uh huh.  Sure.”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “Anyway.  Weren’t you about to go and annoy Mattie?”

“Oh!  Yeah.”  Laura takes a few steps away before looking back.  

Carmilla looks down at the bits of her broken umbrella and then visibly braces herself to walk out into the rain storm.  She makes it one step out the door before there’s a sound of another umbrella opening above her.  Carmilla glances up, then at the person holding it.

“What are you doing?”

 

Laura shrugs with a smile and gestures for them to start walking.  “Don’t want you to melt in the rain.”

“That’s not a thing,” Carmilla replies lightly, matching her pace.

“Really?  I thought I read that witches melt in the rain in one of my mom’s books.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Then either I’m not a witch, or your mom’s book is based on myth.”

“Would you say it was… myth-taken?” Laura asks with a grin.

“Ya killin’ me, Hollis.  Just let me walk home alone in the rain,” Carmilla growls playfully, making Laura laugh.

 

They walk in a comfortable silence, enjoying the sound of the rain off the top of the umbrella for a bit before Carmilla speaks again.  “Thank you.”

Laura shrugs.  “You’re welcome.  It’s no big deal, though.”

“Weren’t you going to talk to Mattie, though?”

“Ah, it can wait.  Besides, she probably hates me, anyway.”

Carmilla chuckles softly.  “Don’t take it personally.  She hates everyone.”

“Except you,” Laura points out.  “But I mean, you are special.  Having powers like that and being able to do magic without even saying a spell…”

“I think she just thinks of me as the little sister she never had,” Carmilla replies.  “And she’s like the sister I never had.  Or mother.”

Laura hums in response, unsure of what to say.

 

“Have you been talking her ear off about me?”

Laura frowns.  “Whose ear?”

“Your mother’s.”

Laura stops short for a second before starting to walk again without replying.

Carmilla furrows her eyebrows together.

“She died.”  It’s spoken so softly that it’s barely audible, but Carmilla hears it as clear as ever.

Now it’s her turn to stop short.

 

“ _ What? _ ”

She hadn’t read or heard anything in the news about Governor Hollis’s wife passing away—just that she’d become something of a recluse in the past decade with all the rebellions in the area.   _ Surely that would’ve been front-page news, right _ ?

Laura seems to realize what she said and she stops with Carmilla, eyes wide.  “Oh, God.  Oh, God, I said that _out_ _loud_.”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “What  _ are _ you saying?”

Laura shakes her head and starts walking again, quicker.  Carmilla runs after her.

“Hey.   _ Hey _ !”  She steps in front of Laura.  “Hey,” she tries again, with a softer tone.

 

“Look, I’ll tell you, but not out here in the open, okay?  When we’re back in the room.”

Carmilla nods in agreement and they head back to their dorm, rushing as the rain gets heavier.

 

They get in and Laura hangs up her umbrella.  She sits down on her bed and seems to be mulling over the best way to explain things to Carmilla.  When Carmilla puts something in front of her face, she’s so wrapped in her own thoughts that she jumps.  She focuses on the object and smiles.  “Hot cocoa.”

Carmilla nods.  “Should warm us right up.”

Laura takes a sip and sighs happily.

 

A few seconds go by before Laura clears her throat.  “My mom died when I was seven.”

Carmilla’s settled onto her own bed and is listening intently.

“She and I were supposed to meet up with my dad at a charity gala.  Advisors were telling him to cancel because this was right when the rebellions were starting, but he held it anyway.  He figured he could showcase the wonderful work my mom was doing.”  Laura’s hand shakes and she puts the mug down on her dresser.  “We were in the carriage when suddenly the driver got hit by something and fell off, and the horse panicked and took off.  The carriage flipped on its side and flew off a small cliff.  It was still a pretty big drop, though, and the last thing I remember is my mom wrapping her body around mine to shield me.”

Laura’s voice cracks and she takes a moment to recompose herself.  

“Cupcake, y-you don’t have to continue,” Carmilla says gently.

“I want to,” Laura replies softly.  She takes a deep breath to continue.  “When I came to, my dad told me that my mom had sustained serious injuries in the crash and died.  But he also told me that we couldn’t tell everyone the truth.”  Laura pauses again, this time as she struggles to explain the next part.

Carmilla has a vague memory of hearing about this crash, but from what she remembers, there were no casualties.

“The people that drove the carriage off the road were the munchkins rebelling.  The guards had seen what happened and drove them off before they could assess the damage.  So, we… told the public that my mom and I were fine.  But that the experience had left us shaken.  And after that we just slowly started making excuses about my mom not going to public events anymore, until people just stopped asking questions.”

 

“The munckins did it?  But… you hand around with those annoying munchkins all the time,” Carmilla points out.

Laura stares at her in confusion.  “Just because some of them were bad doesn’t mean they’re all at fault.”

Carmilla laughs softly.  “People in Oz could stand to be more like you, cupcake.”

Laura gives a small smile.

Carmilla smiles back before she shakes her head in disbelief.  “But why did you guys lie?”

 

Laura sighs.  “Because if we told everyone that these munchkins had killed my mother, it just would’ve set a precedent for fear tactics in the rebellions.  By showing them that violence doesn’t work, it opened up more diplomatic talks.  And, yeah, there’s still rebellions, but there were no more physical attacks on my father or on me.”

Carmilla stares at her.  “But your father asked his seven year old daughter to lie about the fact that her mother is dead.  How is that fair?”

“Because… it was my fault we were on the road that night.”  Laura stares down at her hands in her lap and takes a deep, shaky breath.  “My mom and dad were going to listen to the advisors and cancel the gala.  But I told my mom exactly what they’ve always told me.  That we shouldn’t give in to fear. That my mom was helping people with her magic through her organization, and people should celebrate that.”

Laura lets out a rueful laugh.

“It’s like you said the other night.  Life ain’t fair.  If… I-If I hadn’t said anything, she’d still be alive today.”  Laura bursts into tears at saying this out loud for the first time ever and Carmilla’s eyes widen.

 

“I… Laura…”  Carmilla shakes her head apologetically, unsure of what to do or say.   “If you had never suggested that, it wouldn’t have been you.  It would’ve never occurred to you to just stand down.  I mean, I clearly don’t know you that well, but even I can see that.”

Laura sniffles.

_ Ah, to hell with it. _

“Look.  I… I’m gonna tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell those munchkins you hang out with, or anyone else, for that matter,” Carmilla says slowly.

Laura nods, confused.

“Kirsch’s fiancée, Sarah Jane… the one who died right before school started… I was with her right before it happened.”  Carmilla picks at the edge of her blanket.  “SJ invited me to go hiking with her so we could get to know each other better.  Except there were a few other hikers on the trail and they started screaming at me and calling me names and throwing things at me.  I lost control like I did the other day in Will’s office, and somehow caused a landslide.  It was the first time I had ever done something to that level.  The guys ran off, and I got caught in a cave-in.  Alone.”

Laura’s stopped crying now, her puffy eyes focused on Carmilla.

Carmilla lets out a long exhale.  “I was sealed in there for days before someone found me.  And even then, they said there was no way to get me out.”  She laughs dryly.  “Which led to a panic attack and another magical episode happened and I somehow teleported myself out of there.  By then, they’d found SJ wandering around in the woods—crazed.  They think she was dehydrated or something.”  

Carmilla shakes her head sadly.

“She was an Animal. Lupine.  She’d apparently gone and attacked some family nearby that was camping.  The father reacted in self-defense and killed SJ.  She never would’ve even been out there if it wasn’t for me.”

Laura gets up and sits on the edge of Carmilla’s bed, placing a reassuring hand on her knee.  “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Kirsch never blamed me, either—I think he’s too innocently sweet to—but his parents sure as hell did.  I think sending me here was more about punishing me than helping him.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” Laura says sincerely.  “That sounds awful.”

“I didn’t tell you this for your pity,” Carmilla points out quietly.  “I told you so you’d see you’re not some monster who got your mother killed.”

Laura frowns.  “But you’re not a monster, either.”

Carmilla scoffs but doesn’t reply, staring down into her mug.

“You’re not!”  Laura insists.  “You have powers you can’t control.  You were just a girl thrown into a bad situation.”

 

Carmilla looks up at Laura and laughs softly.  “How do you do that?”

Laura furrows her eyebrows together.  “Do what?”

“You don’t… see me as a freak,” Carmilla replies lamely.  “It took me a while, but I realized that when we first met, you weren’t scared of my skin color.  If anything, you were fascinated by it.  And when I used my powers in Will’s office, you were only concerned about if I was okay.  And today, with Theo and my umbrella… And he mentioned you spoke up for me on that first day, too.”  Carmilla swallows hard.  “Everyone else sees me and goes running in the other direction, or hates me and attacks me.”

Laura frowns.  “They shouldn’t.  All they have to do is really look at you and see you’re just like anyone else with not-green skin.”

 

Carmilla smiles at Laura, who grins back.  “Well.  Thank you.”

“Nothing to thank me for, but you’re welcome,” Laura replies.  She goes back to her side of the room and picks up her hot chocolate.  “Y’know, we have a lot more in common than I thought.”

Carmilla laughs softly.  “Yeah, I know.”

Laura plays with the rim of her mug as she meanders back to Carmilla’s side of the room.  “Is that why you go to bed after the sun comes up?  Coz you’re afraid of the dark?” she asks gently.

Carmilla looks shocked that Laura figured it out.  

“Coz… all the classes other than Mattie’s are scheduled during the day time and if you keep missing them, then that’s just gonna alienate you from our classmates even more.”

When she’s met with silence, Laura continues.

“If you want, we can like, leave the lights on when we sleep at night.  I don’t mind.”  Laura looks back at her bed.  “After my mom died, I couldn’t sleep well for months. Finally, one day, my dad came into my room and gave me my mom’s yellow pillow.  It still smelled like her perfume.  Ever since then, I put a little bit of her perfume on the pillow and it helps me sleep.”  Laura gives Carmilla a kind smile.  “We do whatever we gotta do to cope, right?”

 

Carmilla takes this in and nods, taking a deep breath.  “When Kirsch’s parents took me in as a baby, they said the only thing I showed up with was this.”  She reaches into her collar and produces a necklace with a small triangular charm on it.  “I know I never really met my mother, but wearing it makes me feel better sometimes.”

Laura reaches out and touches it carefully.  “Kinda looks like a pointed hat,” she observes.

Carmilla laughs.  “Yeah, those are totally in fashion.”

“I’ll buy you one if we ever go to a party,” Laura giggles.

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “Well, I’d always assumed it fit into something else.  See how there are ridges on the edge?”

Laura squints and sure enough, there are.  She nods.  “Well, whatever it is, it’s beautiful.”

 

Carmilla fiddles with it and chews her lip, suddenly looking very shy.  “Laura?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m… sorry.  About completely misjudging you from the moment we met.  About insisting that we’re not friends.  And if the offer still stands, I’d like us to be.  Friends.”

Laura beams at her.  “I’d love that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for the great feedback so far! I'm glad this bizarre fic has an audience LOL. FYI as I'm writing this, I realize it's basically a very crazy mix of Wicked, Wizard of Oz, and (of course) Carmilla. So if at any point you're sitting there thinking "but this didn't happen that way in the musical!" I did a massive upheaval so it'd fit my insane vision hahaha.  
> I see all your comments and I promise I'll get to replying this weekend! Feel free to drop a comment below or you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Updates every Friday until I finish writing the whole fic (which should be soon-ish)!  
> As always-- Stay awesome <3


	5. Speak Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura stands up for Carmilla, so the bully turns his ire towards her. Carmilla makes Laura an offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I happened to be doing some light backtracking and editing for the sake of fic cohesiveness and I realized this chapter was real short and the next chapter is longer, so I decided to do an earlier update to get this out there :)

The new understanding and appreciation between Carmilla and Laura is clearly being shared outside of their room.  Although they’re not close enough to be sitting together in class, they’re no longer pretending they don’t see each other at all.

Laura is pleasantly surprised to find that Mattie is no longer treating her with such blatant vitriol, and is glad that she can once again face all of her classes with the same amount of enthusiasm.  

Danny’s already out the door to go to the library and Laura starts to rush from Mattie’s class to join Danny, when she happens to look over to where Carmilla’s sitting.

And finds that her roommate is not alone.

 

“Hey, Ms. Phosphorescent, have you ever thought about going to a tanning salon?” Theo’s asking Carmilla, who’s trying her best to pack up her bag and leave. Will had pulled Kirsch out of class early "for administrative purposes" but they could all see them outside playing frisbee with some of the older boys on campus.  
Theo nudges one of his friends, making sure he has an audience.  “Although I guess for your settings, it’d be ‘lime,’ ‘avocado,’ ‘olive’…”

Mattie starts to go over and adopt her air of ‘professor with no tolerance for bullying,’ but Laura beats her to it.  Within seconds, Laura is in Theo’s face.

“How about you be less concerned about Carmilla’s skin color and more concerned about spending a fraction of energy on your own disgusting personality?  She’s prettier on the inside  _ or  _ the outside than all of you combined.”

 

Carmilla and Mattie’s mouths drop open, but Theo looks more shocked than the both of them.  He quickly recovers with a look of amusement.  “You think I’m repulsive?”

Laura scoffs.  “Among other things.”

“You know what I find repulsive?”  He doesn’t wait for a reply.  “You hang out with the munchkins, when your father is the governor of Munchkin Country.  He’s overseen so many munchkin deaths, all while using the royal guards to protect himself—and your spoiled ass-- from rebellions he’s at fault for.”

Laura swallows hard.  “Th-That’s not what—”

“And now you’re here befriending them, as if you’re perversely trying to make up for all the damage he’s done,” Theo sneers.  “What kind of  _ sick _ person does that?”  He gestures around them.  “I mean, you’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel since you have no other friends here—”

Laura makes a fist and starts to let it fly, but Mattie steps forward with her hand out, and the fist magically stops its motion as Laura stares confusedly at it.

 

“Enough,” Mattie says, her voice level.  She clears her throat.  “Class was dismissed and you are both now trespassing in an unreserved Shiz room.  Leave before I have to call security.”

Laura pouts and lowers her fist.  “But—”

“ _ Now _ , Ms. Hollis.”

Carmilla gently grabs Laura’s arm and gives it a small tug.  “Let’s go, cupcake.”

Theo lingers behind smugly, watching as Laura and Carmilla leave the classroom, the former still slightly resisting.

 

After they’ve left the building Carmilla finally lets go of Laura.  “Why did you do that?” Carmilla asks softly, so quietly that Laura’s not even sure she heard her correctly.

Laura huffs and heads to a bench to sit down and take a few deep breaths.  “Do what?” she finally asks, trying to keep the edge out of her voice.

“Speak up for me,” Carmilla replies lamely.  “He wouldn’t have said those things to you if you’d stayed out of it.”  Her tone isn’t antagonistic, just curious with a hint of sadness.

Laura frowns at her.  “He was attacking you for the entertainment of his friends.   _ Someone _ had to do  _ something _ .”

Carmilla shrugs.  “Mattie looked like she was about to.”

“I’m talking about a  _ classmate _ speaking up.  Nothing’s ever gonna change if it’s just the teachers speaking up.  If the students don’t learn that the world is more than knowledge, that you have to go out there to do good, then what’s the point of coming to Shiz?”

Carmilla remains quiet at that.

 

“My parents told me that they learned to be better people when they studied at Shiz.  Before they came here, my dad had never been exposed to Animals and my mom had only known other witches.  They learned to be more tolerant and accepting.  They learned how to really do good,” Laura explains.

“Explains why you’ve got a moral compass that has its needle glued north,” Carmilla comments.

Laura laughs softly.  “Yeah.  And, I dunno, I guess when my mom died, I just wanted to honor her memory by doing good too, you know?  So I paid attention to how my dad ran things as governor—sympathetic to the prejudice munchkins face. I know people see the palace guards and assume the worst, but the truth is the Wizard makes him have them.  He’s always willing to listen, but unwilling to show weakness in the face of attacks and rebellions.  Commanding respect without demanding it.”

“Sounds like a great guy,” Carmilla remarks.

Laura nods.  “So when I saw Theo antagonizing you, I just couldn’t stand by and…”  She shrugs.  “No one deserves that.”

“Kinda used to it, unfortunately,” Carmilla laughs dryly.

Laura frowns.  “Everyone deserves better, no matter how different they are.  Even you.”

 

Carmilla looks down shyly at that.

“One time when we were little, these kids were throwing rocks at Betty and making horse noises at her,” Laura says.  “I found her crying and bleeding and I took her to home coz it was closer and my parents tended to her wounds.  I wanted to beat up the bullies that did this to her, but my mom told me that wasn’t the way to go.  That real change starts with you, as an individual, showing others that there is a way to peacefully coexist and love each other.  To be good to each other.”

Carmilla stares at Laura with a small smile.  “So now you’re here, trying to change the world, one small green girl at a time?”

Laura laughs softly.  “Something like that.”

The door opens and Carmilla rolls her eyes.

 

“Hey, where’d you go after class?” Danny asks, stopping short when she looks up and sees Carmilla.  “Oh.  Thought Laura was alone.”

“Sorry, Danny.  Theo was being awful to Carm and I wanted to step in.  Kinda got distracted after that,” Laura apologizes.  Carmilla notices the new nickname Laura’s given her and tries not to look  _ too _ happy about it.

Danny sighs.  “Well.  Anyway.  I asked the librarian and the info we want is in the restricted section.  Wherever that is.”

Carmilla frowns.  “What info is that?”

Danny and Laura share a look and Laura clears her throat.  “Danny and I have been looking into the Animal disappearances.”

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “I know you want to help people, but… Do you have a _death_ _wish_?”

 

Laura pouts.  “Carm, there’s a chance that whatever’s been happening is what happened to Betty.  I can’t just ignore that.  She…”  Her voice cracks.  “My best friend was taken and then sent back to me without the ability to speak, or reason.  I can’t let that happen to someone else’s best friend. Or child. Or…”  Laura sniffles and shakes her head.  “If these Animals need help, then I’m going to help them.”

Laura looks down at Danny, her resolve strengthened.

“We’re going to the restricted section.  Tonight.”

Danny frowns.  “I can’t tonight.  The Summer Society is having its meeting with the Zeta fraternity.”

“Ugh, Kirsch is joining that,” Carmilla grumbles.

“And we’ve got the new pledges rushing the rest of this month at night,” Danny continues.

 

“We can’t wait a  _ month _ to find out the answers.”  Laura huffs.  “I’m going tonight alone, then.”

Danny crosses her arms but doesn’t have a better solution.

“No, you’re not,” Carmilla speaks up.

Laura and Danny turn to look at Carmilla, confused.

 

“I’m going with you,” Carmilla replies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hollstein shenanigans to come ;)  
> As always, feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). The next update is still planned for Friday.  
> Stay awesome :D


	6. Parental Discretion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Carmilla begin investigating in the library's restricted area. Danny invites Laura to a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one came late! A friend had a family emergency last night and I went to see her after work and never got a chance to upload it. But here it is :D

“Y’know, I feel like we know all the heavy stuff about each other,” Laura says, her voice hushed as they peek around the building corner.  Laura squints into the distance, the only illumination being a dim street light.  “Dead parents and sibling’s girlfriends and best friends.  Life goals.  But like, I don’t know the simple stuff like… Like…”  Laura bunches up her face as Carmilla looks at her with an amused expression.  “Like, what’s your favorite color?  Is it green?”

Carmilla’s amused expression drops and she waves her hand in front of her face.  “Oh, yeah.  I guess your favorite color is a tanned white, then?”

Laura grins sheepishly.  “I just meant it as a random example and wasn’t thinking, I swear.  Sorry.”

Carmilla’s expression softens.  “Forgiven.”

 

Danny had told them that it was a secret passed down from upperclassmen that the library basement door is never locked.  It used to be the meeting spot for the Alchemy club, before they created a bunch of giant mushrooms and had to be swiftly disbanded.  “ _ Some say to this day during muggy weather that one can still see a large mushroom lumbering around corridors _ ,” Danny said, which Carmilla had rolled her eyes at.

“ _ Every mushroom is large to you _ ,” Carmilla replied, making Laura giggle before a light reprimand.

 

The coast is clear, and Laura runs across the clearing, with Carmilla close behind.  They step into the staircase that leads down to the library basement.  

“But I’m still not telling you my favorite color,” Carmilla says when Laura looks at the rusted doorknob.

“Why not?” Laura turns and asks with a playful whine, making Carmilla chuckle.

“Well, I have to keep some of my secrets. Otherwise I’ll lose my air of mystery, won’t I?”

Before Laura can reply, someone clears their throat from behind them.  They both spin as Laura lets out a small yelp.

 

A small young man stands before them, arms crossed.  A very familiar-looking young man.

Carmilla stands protectively in front of Laura.  “I can explain.”

“That’s J.P., the librarian,” Laura answers, stepping out from behind Carmilla.

“Yes, I am,” he replies with a crisp British accent.  “And you’re sneaking in after-hours, Ms. Hollis.”  He uncrosses his arms and smiles.  “Would this have anything to do with the restricted section that Ms. Lawrence was inquiring about earlier?  For some more in-depth information about Animals?”

Laura nods slowly and hesitantly.

J.P. seems to mull things over for a few seconds before taking a deep breath.  “Follow the hallway and take the first left.  Then continue straight, up two flights, and take another left.  The code to get into that entrance to the restricted area is 1698.”

Laura beams at him.  “Thank you, J.P.!”  She all but drags Carmilla away with her, only slowing down when they take the first left.

 

As they ascend the stairs, Carmilla frowns.  “Why does J.P. look exactly like…”

“Will?  Yeah, they’re twins,” Laura explains.  “Their parents were the previous headmasters at Shiz, but J.P. didn’t want the stress of running the place and Will was more than happy to not have to share the power.  J.P. just has full control over the library.”

Carmilla chuckles softly.  “Gosh, cupcake.  How much time  _ have _ you spent in the library?”

Laura grins.  “A lot.”

They get to the keypad and Laura punches in “1698.”  The door buzzes and clicks open and they step through it, squinting through the darkness.  “Dammit! I didn’t think that it’d be too dark to actually see anything in here,” Laura groans.

 

Carmilla lets out an exasperated sigh.  She closes her eyes and mutters something under her breath.  At first, Laura thinks Carmilla is grumbling at her, but after a few seconds, she holds out her hand.  With a snall  _ poompf _ , a fireball appears in the palm of her hand.

“Whoa,” Laura breathes out.  “Goodness gracious, great balls of—”

“If you finish that sentence, I will actually throw this at you,” Carmilla growls.

Laura holds up her hands in surrender.  “Sorry!  Geez.  Just thought it was super cool.”

Carmilla smirks at her and holds the flame out.  “Lead the way, cupcake.”

 

Laura starts walking through the stacks.  “While we were researching, Danny and I found out that this isn’t the first time that Animals have been targeted.  It happened about twenty years ago.”

Carmilla frowns.  “How’d they put an end to that?”

“They didn’t, technically,” Laura replies.  “The string of kidnappings just stopped.  But that’s when prejudice against Animals started.  People were afraid after a bunch had gone rabid and feral and began attacking.”

Carmilla takes this all in as they continue through the restricted section.  “So what are we looking for?”

“Danny heard from some upperclassmen that some of the old magic lesson textbooks are kept here. Maybe Matska got tired of lugging them around. I want to see if turning Animals into their primal state has any kind of larger implications.”  Laura stops short and points for Carmilla to head down one aisle.  “So I’m thinking any books on transforming Animals as a starting point?”

Carmilla shrugs.  “Your guess is as good as mine.”

 

They go through a few books to no avail.

“Ugh, this is hopeless,” Laura groans as she picks another book off the shelf and begins skimming through it.  “And I don’t even want to think about how much more hopeless it would’ve been if you hadn’t come with me.”  She offers a small smile.  “Thanks for lending me your Matska Belmonde-taught expertise.”

Carmilla chuckles before shyly clearing her throat.  “Actually… I was thinking—”

 

“—That you’re going to be in big trouble?” a voice asks from the end of the aisle.

Both of their heads whirl to face the voice.

“Theo,” Laura growls.

“Mmhmm,” he hums smugly.  “I saw you two sneaking in through the basement entrance and already told Will.  He’s calling your respective parents as we speak.”

Laura swallows hard and looks over at Carmilla, who’s paling by the second.

“Don’t let Shiz’s door hit your green ass on the way out,” he sneers.

 

* * *

 

“My dad is gonna kill me,” Laura laments to Danny.

“He  _ is _ pretty angry,” Samuel says from across the waiting room.

Laura groans and drops her head into her hands.

Danny frowns.  “Well, it sounds like Kirsch’s parents are gonna kill Carmilla, too. So that whole room is gonna be vacant.”

Laura narrows her eyes in a glare.  “Not helping.”

“Sorry.”

 

“… _ We have had a lot of charity cases, _ ” a woman’s cold voice cuts through Will’s office door.  “ _ And I’m being honest when I say that you, Carmilla, are the worst one.  Our investment when we took you in has not been worth it.  We should’ve just gotten a regular orphan. _ ”

Bile rises in Laura’s throat and before she realizes what’s happening, she’s bursting through the closed door and is met with three startled faces.

“You can’t talk to her that way!” Laura blurts out.

A woman dressed entirely in pink scowls at her.  “Ms. Hollis?  What are you doing here?”

“She’s her roommate,” Will answers.

Mrs. Kirsch frowns at this.  “The… Th-The roommate that Carmilla was caught snooping around the restricted section with?”

Will nods.  “Your daughter is quite good at corrupting others, isn’t she?  Even a governor’s daughter.”

 

Laura shakes her head and stands next to Carmilla.  “That’s not true!  It was my idea to sneak in there!”

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Laura, no,” she whispers.

“I’m sure your dau—your  _ adopted _ daughter has corrupted her so much that she believes it was her own idea,” Will whispers loud enough for everyone to hear.

“It was all my idea,” Laura continues to assert.

Carmilla shakes her head.  “What are you doing?  Please stop talking.”

 

“I’d agree with your roommate there, sweetie,” a man’s voice says from behind them.

Laura gulps and turns to face him.  “Dad!” she squeaks.

“Go back into the waiting room and wait for me with Samuel,” he tells her.

Laura frowns.  “But, dad—”

“ _ Now _ .”

Laura flinches and does as told.

Papa Hollis seethes as he looks at Carmilla.  “Both of you.”

 

Carmilla ducks out as well, finding Laura alone in the waiting room with Samuel.

“I sent Danny home,” Laura mumbles.  “Figured her seeing her governor yell at his daughter-- her friend-- would be a tad bit awkward.”

Carmilla nods and sits down beside her.  “Why did you go into the room like that?” she asks softly.

Laura scoffs.  “I heard the things Kirsch’s mom was saying to you.  You don’t deserve to be spoken to like that.”

Carmilla shrugs.  “She’s always spoken to me that way.”

“Well, it’s not okay.”  Laura sighs.  “Kirsch’s dad, too?”

Carmilla shakes her head.  “He’s not around much.  When he is, he’s amicable.  Not overly loving, but not antagonistic.  She’s always been the more power-hungry one in the couple.”

“But Kirsch is sweet to you.”

“Kirsch is sweet to everyone,” Carmilla chuckles.  “Even when all the kids at school would throw things at me or call me names, he would sit with me.  Probably because he knows I don’t get a break from that kind of treatment at home.”

Laura puts a hand on Carmilla’s knee and gives it an affectionate squeeze.  “You’re an amazing person for putting up with all this hatred.  If people tried a little harder to look past your… greenness, they’d see how great you are.”

 

Carmilla turns away without a word and Laura frowns.

“Oh.  Uhm.  Sorry.  I didn’t… I-I didn’t mean to offend you,” Laura stammers.  “It’s just, you looked upset, and I thought I’d… I’ll stop talking now.  I’m really sorry.”

Carmilla turns back to face her and Laura’s mouth drops open when she sees tears streaming down her face.  “Can you shut up for five seconds?” Carmilla asks, her voice cracking.  “Coz I need to tell you something and I don’t wanna do it if you keep yapping through it.”

Laura’s mouth clamps closed.  She does reach into her backpack and produce a tissue, handing it to Carmilla.

“I’m not offended,” Carmilla says, taking a deep breath.  She wipes her eyes with the tissue and smiles at Laura gratefully.  “I…  I’m just—”

 

The office door opens and Mrs. Kirsch and Papa Hollis step out.  Mrs. Kirsch leaves without a word or glance at Carmilla, but Papa Hollis steps before them.

“I handled the situation.  There will be no suspension or anything of the sort, but you have been placed on probation for a month.  This means both of you will have to be present in your dorms by midnight every night.  Will will be checking.”

Laura lets out a sigh of relief.  “That’s it?”

“Yes,” he replies, getting his coat from Samuel.  “And of course no more of this foolish investigation.”

 

Laura shoots out of her chair in a blur.  “ _ WHAT _ ?”

Her father frowns down at her.  “Honey, what are you even doing?  You asked to come to Shiz for an education on magic and on how to help people, not on becoming some investigator.  That’s not what I’m paying this school to teach you.”  He crosses his arms.  “Since Mattie has insisted she cannot take on more than one student at a time, then that leaves you with learning about public policy.”

Laura’s mouth opens and closes a few times as she tries to make words come out of it.  “Dad!  Animals are  _ going missing _ !  Like  _ Betty _ !  They  _ need _ help.  And this has happened before--”

“This isn’t up for discussion,” he states calmly, but firmly.  “You will cease this investigation.  If I hear another report that you haven’t, I’m pulling you out of Shiz and you will be working in my office.  Do you understand.”

Laura clenches her jaw.

“ _ Do. You. Understand. _ ” Papa Hollis yells.

“Yes.”  Laura nods and swallows hard.  “Yes.”

 

She turns and runs out of the room, ignoring Carmilla calling after her.

 

Balling her hands into fists, Laura cuts across campus, sprinting and ignoring the burning in her lungs and the stinging in her eyes.  She only slows down when she sees her dorm building, but doesn’t stop to catch her breath until she reaches her dorm room.

Her footsteps had clearly been heard, because seconds after she enters her room, Danny appears in the doorway.

“Hollis?  …You okay?”

Laura is breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath.  “H-He… He doesn’t… And Animals need help and he just doesn’t CARE a-and… How could-could he not—”

This is all Laura gets out before she finally collapses onto the floor to her knees, crying.

 

More footsteps approach the room and Carmilla stops short in the doorway, clearly taken by surprise at the sight of Laura on the floor in tears.  “What is going on?” she asks, shocked.

“You tell me,” Danny replies.  “I heard her running down the hallway and came to check on her and she blubbered some stuff incoherently and then just broke down.”

Carmilla kneels next to Laura.  “Cutie, what’s the matter?  Is this about your dad?”

“What about her dad?” Danny asks.

“He told her she has to stop investigating the Animals thing, or he’s pulling her out of Shiz,” Carmilla replies.

 

Laura rubs her eyes and sniffles.  “I… I don’t understand how he could know people out there need help and refuse to let me look into this,” she says around hiccupping sobs.

Carmilla sighs.  “Well, I don’t know your dad very well.  I’m not even sure I know  _ you _ really well.  But from what I can tell, you don’t let anything get in your way.  You’re Laura Hollis.  You’ll figure it out.”

Laura takes a deep shaky breath.  “But… my dad…”

 

“… _ doesn’t have to know that we’re still investigating _ ,” Carmilla replies with a smirk.  She walks over to Laura’s life plan board and carefully removes the card that says ‘ _ Solve missing Animals case! _ ’  “We just gotta be more careful.”

“Careful?”

Carmilla chuckles.  “I’m talking about lying.”

Laura frowns.

“I’ve had my fair experience lying,” Carmilla says with a wink.  “We won’t get caught.”

Laura bites her lip.  “I dunno…  I spent my whole life wanting to go to Shiz and it just wasn’t fair for him to be threatening to take that away…  If he goes through with it…”

“He won’t,” Carmilla replies softly but firmly.  “Coz he won’t know we’re still looking into the case.”

 

“I’m gonna need to think about it.”  Laura says before she pauses as if waiting for something, almost flinching.  “You’re not gonna tell me, ‘ _ life ain’t fair, sweetheart? _ ’”

“I think by now I know that you’re aware of that.  More than most,” Carmilla says with a small chuckle.  “Whatever you decide… I’ll support it.”

Laura smiles at this and Carmilla lets out a sigh of relief.  “Thanks, Carm.”

“Ah, it’s nothing you wouldn’t do for me,” Carmilla replies, blushing a little.

 

Danny clears her throat.

“Well, now that Carmilla has cheered you up, there was another reason I was waiting for you to come back.  The Summers are planning on throwing a party at the Ozdust Ballroom.  It’s a joint event with the Zetas.  You should come, Laura.”

Laura starts to nod but stops herself.  “Can I bring...”  She catches herself again and inhales sharply.  “Can I get back to you on this?

Danny nods.  “Sure.”  She pats Laura on the arm.  “Hang in there, Hollis.”

 

Laura waits for Danny to be out of earshot before she turns to Carmilla.

 

“Will you be my date to the party?”

Carmilla’s mouth opens and closes a few times before words come out.  “I, uh… Uhm.”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “I, just… I didn’t wanna be rude and presumptuous to ask you in front of Danny in case you wanted to say ‘no,’ so if you want to say ‘no’ it’s fine.”

Carmilla awkwardly looks down at her hands in her lap.

Which makes Laura continue rambling.  “I was afraid you’d be left out and I don’t want you to feel left out.  But I also totally understand if you don’t want to go to this party at all. B-But with the not feeling left out, I- I mean, you deserve to feel like you belong--”

“Laura…” Carmilla says with a chuckle.

She’s in full nervous-ramble mode now. “--and I thought being invited to the party as my date—and I mean uhm, if you don’t want to be my  _ date _ -date, that’s also fine, we can be friend dates--”

“ _ Laura _ .”

Laura blinks.  “Hmm?”

“Yes.”

 

Laura frowns.  “Yes… to which part?”

“Ya killin’ me, Hollis,” Carmilla chuckles.  “To all of it.  The party and the belonging and… the date.”

Laura’s frown turns into a full-on beaming smile.  “Really?”

“Really.”  Carmilla smiles.  “On one condition.”

Laura nods eagerly.  “Of course!  Anything.”

Carmilla’s smile turns into a grin.  “You let me teach you whatever magic I learn from Mattie.  On the down-low, of course.”

 

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “You mean it?”

“Yes.  I figure it’ll be easier to keep this investigation going in the shadows if you’re as knowledgeable about magic as I am, even if you don’t have powers.  That we know of.”  There’s a mischievous glint in Carmilla’s eye.  “Unless you’re too  _ good _ to keep this many secrets.”

Laura leaps forward with a squeal and gives Carmilla a hug.  “To heck with being good!  You’re the best!”

Carmilla awkwardly pats Laura’s arm, but doesn’t seem to have any problem with the physical contact as Laura pulls away.

“And you’ve got yourself a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) Next chapter is gonna be a fun one. Hehehehe.  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Updates every Friday until I finish writing the whole fic :)  
> As always-- Stay awesome <3


	7. Dancing Through Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla starts teaching Laura the basics of magic. The party at the Ozdust ballroom ends in an explosive encounter and a helping hand from a new ally.

Carmilla makes her way down the hallway, a little extra pep in her step.  It could be attributed to the fact that she just came from a productive lesson with Mattie.

But it probably has more to do with the fact that she has a date with Laura tonight.

She’s expecting to find an empty room so she can get ready—instead, she finds said date passed out on her desk, lightly snoring.

_ Better than what I expected _ .

 

Laura’s soft snoring is indicated by a few strands of hair being blown back and forth, sweeping across her cheeks.  Her usually-adorable bunched up face, always ready for a stubborn fight, looks so peaceful and relaxed.

 

Carmilla smirks and walks up to her slumbering roommate.  “Laura.”

No reaction.

“Lauuura,” Carmilla tries again, getting closer.

She squats so her mouth is next to Laura’s ear.

“There’s free cookies in the mess hall,” Carmilla whispers with a smirk.

 

Laura sits bolt upright, the page getting stuck to her face.  “Free cookies?” she mumbles.

Carmilla lets out a snort of laughter.  “Good morning, cupcake.”

“Wait, are they giving out free cookies, or free cupcakes?” Laura asks through a yawn, stretching.

“Neither,” Carmilla chuckles.  “I was just teasing you.”

Laura pouts sleepily.  “That’s not very nice.”

“I’m sorry,” Carmilla says sincerely.  She looks down at the book Laura was using as a pillow and frowns.  “Where did you get this?”  Her frown deepens.  “Isn’t this…”

Laura grins sheepishly.  “So you know how we got caught by Theo and Will came and escorted us out of the restricted section?”  She gestures at the book before her.  “This is the last book we were looking at.  I snuck it out with us when I followed behind you and hid it in the bushes and went back for it this morning before my Journalism class.”

“Sneaky little thing, aren’t you?” Carmilla laughs softly.  She pulls up her chair next to Laura’s.  “So?  Was it all so compelling and riveting that you collapsed from the sheer force of it all?”

Laura narrows her eyes in a playful glare.  “Well, it was more relevant than all the other books we went through.  But there are some passages that look real important that I can’t read.  They’re in some other language.”

 

She flips a few pages and turns it towards Carmilla, whose eyes widen as she scans it.  “It’s the same language as the one from the Grimmerie.”

Laura bunches up her face in confusion.  “I know I’m groggy from my nap, but… what?”

Carmilla moves the book towards herself.  “It’s a book Mattie has been having me read and learn magic from.  It’s like a spellbook, so only those capable of casting magic can read the spells.”

“So if I can learn the language, I can cast spells?” Laura asks hopefully.

Carmilla chews her lip.  “I… don’t think it works that way.  Sorry.”  She inhales sharply.  “The moment Mattie had me read from the Grimmerie, it was like I already understood the language, even though I’d never read it or been exposed to it before.  I mean, I can try teaching you translations, but I don’t know if that’s the same thing as being able to cast the spells themselves.”

“Oh.”  Laura looks disappointed for a moment, but shakes it off quickly.  “That’s more than good enough for me,” she says with a smile.  “Can you translate this?”

Carmilla nods and starts reading to herself for a several minutes before clearing her throat.  She starts to read aloud when she turns to face Laura and finds Laura staring at her.  Laura realizes she’s been caught and quickly looks away, blushing.

“See something you like?” Carmilla teases.

Laura huffs and crosses her arms.

 

“Anyway,” Carmilla says with a chuckle, “this passage says that Animals have a little more… uhm… I guess the closest translation would be ‘life force?’”

Laura shifts at that, her curiosity taking over.  “What do you mean by that?”

“Every living thing has some amount of this kind of life force,” Carmilla explains.  “You have some.  Lawrence has some.  That annoying lion club they keep in the biology department has some.  Witches can manipulate the life force in other beings—as well as that in the space around them—and that’s how spells are cast.  Animals have more life force than most living things.  And according to this, there was a history of evil witches and others who sought to exploit this.”

“How so?”

Carmilla squints down at the page.  “There’s also some kind of mention about a charm, but I don’t think Mattie’s covered this with me, yet.  It just vaguely talks about how witches would take the life force from them to make themselves more powerful.”

Laura frowns.  “Would that, like… turn them rabid?”

 

“Maybe.  It would just turn them into regular animals.”  Carmilla runs a hand through her hair.  “So a witch is doing this?”

“Or it could the mysterious ‘others,’” Laura points out.  She lets out a long exasperated groan.  “It’s like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back.  Or that our steps are going around in circles.  And these circles are also going around in circles.  While taking two steps backwards with each circle.”

Carmilla laughs at Laura’s rambling.  “Okay, okay, look.  We have the party tonight.  So let’s just… take it slow before your pretty little head spontaneously combusts.”

 

Laura nods and takes a deep breath.  “You’re right.  You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Carmilla replies smugly.

Laura rolls her eyes and checks the time.  “Well.  We have a couple hours before we have to get ready.  Do you feel up to like a quick intro lesson about magic?”

Carmilla smiles.  “Sure, cutie.”

 

They make more room by moving Laura’s giant five-year planning board into the hallway, ignoring Danny’s protests about walking hazards.

Carmilla starts to tell her to move it back into the room herself, but Laura quickly elbows her and mutters for her to be quiet.

“ _ Apparently she was hoping I’d go to that party as  _ her _ date, _ ” Laura told her afterwards.  “ _ When she found out I was inviting you as mine, she was so upset she took the ketchup packet she was using and threw it at my head. _ ”

Carmilla frowned and Laura shrugs.

“ _ Then she said she’d be more than honored to just be my friend, which I said of course we are.  So we’re okay, I think.  But I still don’t wanna push her. _ ”

Carmilla rolled her eyes, but agreed.

 

Carmilla begins with the basic lessons that Mattie taught her—basic grammar, pronunciation, and syntax.  After about an hour of this, she tries having Laura recite the simple spell she used to create a fireball in the library, but nothing happens.

“Aw, cupcake, I’m sorry,” Carmilla says gently, prepared for Laura to get upset.

Surprisingly, Laura takes it in stride.  “It’s fine, Carm.  I didn’t want to learn magic just to do spells.  I wanted to learn knowledge not taught elsewhere so I could learn more ways to help people.”

 

Carmilla smiles at this.  “You’ve just got your whole life planned out, don’t you?”

Before Laura can reply, their door swings open.

Carmilla glares at the intruder.  “At what point did society give up on knocking?”

Danny scowls.  “Around the time that Hollis didn’t show up to pick up the dress her dad dropped off at the Summers house, where she was  _ supposed _ to get ready.”

Laura jumps out of her seat.  “Oh my gosh!  We completely lost track of time!”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Danny grumbles.

Laura’s already halfway out of the room.  “See you at the party, Carm!”

Danny follows Laura out and Carmilla picks at the edge of the page nervously.

 

_ Right.  A party. _

 

* * *

 

Carmilla shows up at the Ozdust ballroom fashionably late, clad in leather pants and a corset, showing off her shoulders and midriff.  Laura is nowhere to be seen outside, nor is she visible as Carmilla peeks inside through the enormous windows.

To be honest, Carmilla had tried not to get too excited about Laura asking her to be her date to this party.  She figures it was a bit of a pity invite.  Just a way to make the monster living in her room feel slightly less like a monster.  She was hoping to get maybe a nice conversation with Laura before she went back to her munchkin friends, and maybe check out the infamous Ozdust ballroom alone, and then leave.  Except Laura wasn’t anywhere in sight.

She does, however, see Theo and his goons.

 

_ Great _ .

 

“Lookin’ good, sis,” a voice says from behind her.

Carmilla turns and offers a small smile.  “Pretty spiffy, yourself.”

Kirsch is in a tux, his hair slicked but still slightly sticking up.  “When I heard some of the bros saying, ‘Carmilla is coming,’ I wasn’t sure they meant you,” he admits.

“Yeah, well,” Carmilla mumbles with a shrug.  “Laura asked me.”  She’s sure they didn’t all call her by name.

He gasps.  “Oh, yeah!  I forgot.  I bumped into her earlier and she told me if I see you to tell you she’s gonna be late.  Something about having to alter the dress her dad brought her.”  He offers her the crook of his arm.  “May I escort you in?  Although, fair warning, I have to mingle with the dudes after we go in.  Sorry.”

Carmilla gives him a playful punch on the arm.  “Walking me in is more than enough.”

 

They hook arms and enter the ballroom, which is decorated with glittering lights and banners for the various Shiz student organizations.  There are several large side rooms, which students are walking in and out of.  A grand staircase leads up a few stories, leading to a spacey balcony.  No one seems to be up there at the moment, with the students occupying the first floor, instead.  

They walk around and take in the sights before Kirsch gets whisked away by a fellow new pledge, leaving Carmilla alone with an apologetic look back.

 

Music is playing at a comfortable volume, with a few groups and couples taking to the dance floor.  The air should be relaxed.   _ And yet _ …

As soon as Kirsch steps away, Carmilla feels it.  All the eyes on her.

No—on her  _ green skin _ .

Carmilla swallows hard and tries to tell herself she’s imagining it, but through her slow breathing she can see the stares.  Hear the whispers.  And then the pointing begins.

 

“Hey,” a warm voice says from beside her.

Carmilla didn’t realize how tense she got until it leaves her body the moment she hears Laura.  She turns to face her.  “Hey.”

Laura takes the view of Carmilla in and her mouth is left slightly agape.  “Wow.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “What?”

“I-I… I, just.  Wow.”  Laura giggles.  “You look amazing.”

Carmilla smiles shyly.  “Pretty sure you’re the only one in this room that thinks so, cutie.  Everyone else is looking at me like some sentient pile of phlegm just strolled in.”

Laura scoffs and waves her hand dismissively in the general direction of everyone else.  “Who cares what everyone else thinks?  You’re more beautiful inside and out than all of them combined.”  She reaches out and carefully centers the small triangular charm on Carmilla’s necklace resting on her collarbone.

 

Carmilla’s breath catches in her throat.  “Uhm.  Thanks.”

She looks at Laura, who’s also in a corset, but hers is white.  Her hair is up in a bun, and her dress flows out gracefully.  “You look beautiful,” Carmilla comments in awe.

Laura blushes.  “Thank you.”

Carmilla smirks and gestures at where Kirsch is making jokes to some Summer girls—which don’t seem to be landing well with them.  “The goofball over there mentioned something about needing to alter the dress?”

Laura laughs.  “Yeah.  It had this like, frilly poof on top of the corset.  Danny said I looked like I was about to flee my brooding lover across the moors.  Which was accurate.”

“I’m sure you looked like a perfect virgin sacrifice,” Carmilla comments with a grin.

“Yes, well, since there’s no virgin sacrifices on this party’s itinerary, we got my dad’s permission to carefully remove the frills.”  Laura pauses.  “It’s my mom’s dress.”

“Oh.”  Carmilla clears her throat.  “In that case, I got the ‘perfect’ part right. You look perfect,” she says sincerely.

Laura smiles and does a curtsy.  She happens to look around them and notices that there are still people nearby glaring at Carmilla’s presence, shamelessly looking repulsed.  Carmilla’s eyes follow Laura’s and she swallows hard.  “Might wanna go spend more time with Lawrence, cupcake.  Anyone standing next to me automatically loses popular points by the second.”

 

Laura shakes her head.  “Popular?”  She giggles.  “Yeah, you know, whenever I see someone less fortunate than I—and let’s face it, who isn’t less fortunate than I—my tender heart tends to start to bleed,” she comments sarcastically.  “And when someone needs a makeover, I simply have to take over.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “I mean, being the daughter of the governor, you’ve gotta know the proper poise when you talk to boys.  Little ways to flirt and flounce…  What shoes to wear, how to fix your hair.  Help me hang with the right cohorts and be good at sports and know the slang you've got to know.”

Laura nods, faking seriousness.  “Now you’re getting it.”

Carmilla and Laura share some soft laughter, but not without noticing that people are still staring at them.

 

Laura rolls her eyes, takes a deep breath, and holds out a hand expectantly.  Carmilla looks down at it, confused.  “Just like virgin sacrifices aren’t on this party’s itinerary, neither is alienating my  _ date _ .”  She waves her hand at Carmilla.  “Let’s dance.”

“What?” Carmilla asks, sure she didn’t hear correctly.  It was one thing for Laura to be having a conversation with Carmilla at the party.  But dancing?  On a relatively empty dance floor?

“Let’s  _ dance _ ,” Laura repeats, a gentle smile on her face.

Carmilla swallows hard and nods, putting her hand in Laura’s and allowing the other girl to drag her onto the dance floor.

Laura positions her hands and Carmilla clumsily does the same.

 

“Wait.  Is this okay with you?” Laura asks before they move any farther.  “Consent is important, y’know.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Yeah, I—Yes.  This is fine.  With me.”  She takes a deep breath.  “It’s just… Is this okay with you?  Because all I was expecting tonight was for like, a conversation.  And then I could leave and you could go enjoy the party.”

Laura frowns and lets go of Carmilla.

_ Crap.  There she goes, I guess _ .

 

“Carm.  What are you talking about?” Laura asks.

Carmilla averts her eyes and gestures around them.  “Laura, you’re at a party and you look gorgeous and people are staring at you and not appreciating how gorgeous you look, because you’re standing next to me, and I look—”

“—Beautiful,” Laura says firmly.  “Carm, forget about what every other idiot in here thinks.  You look so, so beautiful.  I promise.”  Laura takes Carmilla’s hands in hers.  “When I asked you to be my date for this party, it wasn’t just to… I dunno, pity you?  I genuinely wanted to spend time with you.  Here.  Out in the open.  Talking and laughing and dancing.  Regardless of who’s looking or what they’re saying.”  She gives Carmilla’s hand a squeeze.  “Okay?”

Carmilla feels her eyes well up and she sniffles, but manages an “okay.”

 

Laura offers her hand again and this time Carmilla takes it without hesitation.  They sway to the music for a bit, which attracts more looks.  Carmilla manages to tune them all out, however, the moment she gazes into Laura’s eyes.  Suddenly all she sees is someone who doesn’t just look at her, but  _ sees _ her.

Carmilla smiles when she realizes that holding Laura feels natural.  That the spaces between her fingers are where Laura’s fit perfectly.

It’s a feeling Carmilla holds onto as they dance for a couple songs.

 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Laura finally asks softly.

Carmilla nods.

“After we graduate Shiz… what do you want to do?”

“I’m… not sure,” Carmilla admits.  “I’ve always done whatever Kirsch’s parents asked me to do.  I really only came here to make sure Kirsch doesn’t flunk out.  These lessons with Mattie weren’t part of the plan.”

Laura frowns.  “But what do  _ you _ want?”

There’s a long pause before Carmilla shrugs.  “No one’s ever asked me that before.”

 

They stop dancing and Laura motions for them to go out onto a balcony.

“I hid a surprise out here for you while I was helping the Summer Society set up,” she says with a grin.  She pulls out a large but light box and hands it to Carmilla, who stares at it.  “Open it,” Laura pushes gently.

Carmilla carefully does so and chuckles as she pulls the present out.  “A pointed hat.  As promised.”

“It's really, uh, sharp, don't you think?” Laura asks with a giggle.  She playfully nudges Carmilla.  “You know, black is this year's pink.  You deserve each other, this hat and you.”

Carmilla laughs and puts the hat on, wagging her eyebrows and Laura starts laughing, too.  She leans on the balcony, taking in the sight with a grin.

 

Carmilla gazes out beyond the balcony, keeping the hat on.

“I’d actually love for these lessons with Mattie to lead me to meet the Wizard.”  She inhales deeply.  “You know… growing up, with this skin color… Who knew that like, there was this weird quirk I've tried to suppress or hide is a talent that could help me meet the Wizard?”

Laura offers a small smile.  “So, let’s say you meet the Wizard.  What then?”

Carmilla taps her fingers on the balcony rail.  “If I meet the Wizard--”

“— _ When _ ,” Laura corrects smugly.

Carmilla laughs at that and relents.  “ _ When _ I meet the Wizard… Maybe she’ll say to me, ‘I see who you truly are—a girl on whom I can rely.’”

Laura beams at her, encouraging her to continue.  “Once you’re with the Wizard, your whole life will change.”

Carmilla nods.  “Coz once you're with the Wizard, no one thinks you're strange.”

“And all of Oz has to love you,” Laura continues.

“And one day, she'll say to me, ‘Carmilla…’”  Carmilla pretends to swoon, making Laura giggle.  “Would it be all right by you if I de-greenified you?  And then, when I look normal… what a pair we’ll be.”  Carmilla reaches forward and dramatically grabs Laura, giving her a twirl.  “Oz’s greatest team.”

 

Laura laughs and gives Carmilla a twirl in return.  “Carm, as great as this all sounds…”  Laura steps away to give Carmilla a warm look.  “…You don’t need the Wizard to… de-greenify you for us to be a pair.”  She gestures at the air between them.  “The whole point of my question is that you’re… Unlimited.  Our future will be  _ unlimited _ . We just got to trust our instincts.  Close our eyes and leap.”

Carmilla’s face softens.  “Y’know. I've just had a vision, almost like a prophecy.”

Laura raises an eyebrow inquisitively.  Carmilla moves forward to close the gap, her eyes on Laura’s lips.  Laura leans forward as well, her eyes also drifting down to Carmilla’s lips.

Carmilla swallows hard and she watches Laura’s breath catch in her throat. “I know, it sounds truly crazy. And true, the vision’s hazy.  But I swear--”

 

“Ooh, things are getting steamy enough out here to turn one green with envy,” a voice mocks from the doorway, causing Carmilla to pull away with a growl as she glares at Theo.  “Oops, too late,” he snickers to his friends standing with him.

“Don’t you have some ale to go chug?” Carmilla snarls.

He shrugs.  “I would, but seeing someone as grotesque as you has made me lose my appetite.”

“What is your problem?” Laura demands.  “Carm has never done anything to you to deserve your bullying!”

Theo cackles before fixing them with a glare as he stalks towards them.  “Are you  _ sure _ about that?”

Carmilla furrows her eyebrows in confusion.  “I never even met you before Shiz.  We’re not even in the same year.”

“Too young to remember,” Theo comments, crossing his arms.  “We were at the same orphanage.  I was the next to be adopted.”

 

Carmilla’s eyes widen and she clenches her jaw.

“Yeah.  I was handed over the orphanage at birth, same as you.  And by the time I turned four years old, policy dictated that I should’ve been the next one to be given to a family.  Except the next family was the Kirsches.”  Theo laughs dryly.  “And they wanted a kid who would look the best for the public eye.  So they adopted the freak new born who’d just come in weeks before.  The child everyone pitied for being abnormal.  Disgusting.  The perfect charity case.”

There’s a rumbling sound and Laura steps forward.  “That’s enough.”

Theo scoffs.  “The truth hurts, doesn’t it?  But you know what hurts more?  Being stuck at that orphanage for a decade after that because you were so bitter about being skipped over, that any family that wasn’t one of the wealthiest ones in all of Oz, didn’t feel good enough and you began acting out.  And the family that finally took me in was a cold, violent one.”

More rumbling.

Laura sighs.  “That’s awful, Theo.  It really is.  And I’m sorry.  But none of this is Carmilla’s fault.”

“Maybe not, but you’d have to agree that everyone knows that the world would’ve been better if that useless artichoke had never been born,” Theo states bluntly.

 

The rumbling grows and Laura looks over at Carmilla, whose fury is understandably coming off her in waves.

The explosion in Will’s office rushes in Laura’s mind and suddenly she realizes they’re still on the balcony, with people below them.

_ I have to stop this _ .  Laura panics and does the first thing that comes to mind.

 

She lunges forward and takes a swing at Theo, clamping her eyes closed as her fist connects with his face hard enough to knock him off his feet.

 

The rumbling stops.

 

Theo looks shocked on the ground, cradling his jaw.  He leaps to his feet, anger in his eyes as he stomps forward.  “You’re gonna pay fo—”

There’s a loud crack and the floor below him and Laura gives way and they both fall through the hole, plummeting several stories below.

Laura stares down in horror as the ground comes closer, the air rushing past barely drowning out Carmilla’s terrified “ _ LAURA! _ ”

 

Laura braces herself for impact, but it never comes.  Instead, she finds herself hovering inches above the ground, with a confused Theo beside her.

“Well, at least you keep chaperoning a party entertaining, Miss Hollis,” their savior says as high heels click towards them.

“Mattie,” Laura sighs in relief.

Mattie flicks her wrist and they both safely drop to the ground with a  _ thud _ .  “Mister Straka, return to the party.”

“But she hit me,” he growls.

Mattie walks up to him, yanking him up by the shoulder.  “An action which will be dealt with accordingly,” she replies, her voice scarily even.  “Do you have a problem with this?”

Theo shakes his head grudgingly.

“Good.”  She releases him and gives him a shove towards the ballroom entryway before turning to face Laura.

 

Carmilla comes running out of the ballroom, breathless as she tackles Laura in a hug.  “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she gasps out, holding her tight with the hat in her hand.

Laura shakes her head with a smile.  “No need to apologize.”

 

“Miss Hollis, come with me,” Mattie commands, walking towards a small apartment building nearby.

Carmilla runs up to Mattie, who rolls her eyes.  “Wait.  If you’re gonna punish anyone, it’s me.  I used my powers.  Laura was trying to stop it and—”

“Shut. Up.”  Mattie holds up a hand.

Carmilla huffs.  “But, Mattie, she doesn’t deserve to—”

“I  _ said _ , shut up.”  She grabs Carmilla by the wrist and all but drags her along, beckoning with her other hand for Laura to follow.  Carmilla and Laura share a look as they enter the apartment building and ascend to the second floor in silence.

 

Mattie settles into a chair and opens a bottle of wine, pouring herself a glass and taking a long sip before fixing her guests with a glare.  “Explain.”

Laura and Carmilla glance at each other and Carmilla takes a deep breath.  “Theo interrupted a… conversation Laura and I were having and started with his usual insults.  Laura asked him what I did to deserve his ire.  Apparently he was the kid next in line to be adopted, but the Kirsches picked me so it’d… look better.”  She shakes her head.  “I got upset and next thing I knew everything was shaking and Laura tried to stop it by hitting Theo, but he just kept moving and then there was a hole in the balcony floor.”

Mattie stares into her wine glass and hums in response.

Laura gently grabs Carmilla’s wrist.  “Carm, it’s fine.  Whatever the reason, I hit someone.  She can’t just let that slide.”

Carmilla shakes her head.  “Mattie, please don’t punish Laura for hitting Theo.  She was only looking out for me.”

 

“Why is it that every time I see the two of you, you're causing some sort of commotion?” Mattie asks.

Carmilla shrugs.  “We don't cause commotions, we are one.”

 

“Can’t argue with you there.”  Mattie takes another sip and sighs.  “Detention.  For the rest of the semester, Miss. Hollis.  Until I say you’re done.”

Carmilla’s mouth drops open.  “But—”

“ _ But _ ,” Mattie interrupts pointedly, “since the predecessor I’ve been substituting for was found rabid this morning and attacked someone and had to be put out of her misery…”  She waits for the news to settle in for both of the girls.  “Shiz is slightly short-staffed, so I will be in charge of your detention.  Let’s say, every day at 5pm?”

Laura frowns.  “But that’s when you teach Carm magi—”  The realization hits her and she stops speaking, her mouth forming an “o.”

“Hmm.  How about that?” Mattie asks, a mischievous glint in her eye.  “Will may not be allowing me to teach the governor’s daughter magic, but if your detention happens to coincide with Carmilla’s special lessons… Well… Not much can be done about that, right?”

Carmilla and Laura grin.  “Right,” Laura says, excitement bubbling in her body.

 

Mattie smirks and takes another sip.  “Dismissed.”

Laura lets out a squeal.  “Thank you!”  She runs out of the building, leaving a smiling Carmilla behind to trail after her.

“Thank you,” Carmilla says softly.

Mattie waves her hand.  “I might have underestimated Laura Hollis.  Won’t happen again.  To either of us, hmm?”

Carmilla laughs.  “No, it won’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know me-- can't resist a Laura/Mattie bromance :P  
> Thanks for the feedback so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Updates still planned for Fridays.  
> As always, stay awesome :D


	8. The Cage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a lesson with Mattie, Laura and Carmilla stumble across a small creature in need of help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dropping this one slightly early coz I had a death in the family and I figure I might as well upload it now coz I'll probably be busy  
> enjoy <3

“Try again,” Mattie says to Carmilla.

Carmilla focuses on the book before her.  “ _ Uhben Tuhkay Uh Tum Entay Ditum Entayuh.” _

Nothing happens.

“No, no,” Matie says with a sigh.  “It’s,  _ Ahben Tahkay Ah Tum Entay Ditum Entayah _ .”  

The book slowly levitates off the table, hovering as Mattie controls its motion for a few seconds before placing it back down.

Carmilla starts to try again, but Mattie holds up her hand.  “Maybe that’s enough for today. You’re still advancing very quickly, more so than I’ve seen any other witch before you.  Let’s see how the little puppy is doing.”

 

She walks over and Laura is silently reading a book.  She hands Laura a slip of paper.

“Read this.”

Laura scans it over a few times.  “ _ Ah Tum Core Tum Ah Tum Tah Tayk. _ ”  She pauses.  “Nothing happened?”

Mattie laughs.  “Didn’t think it would.  I’m still not sensing enough power from you to cast a spell. Plus you can’t even read the text yourself. I just did it for my own amusement.”

Laura scowls.  “Not funny.”

“ _ My _ amusement, not yours,” Mattie remarks with a cackle.  She waves her hand. “Anyway, we’re done for the day. I have an important meeting to get to.”

Laura packs up her books and Carmilla waits for her by the doorway.

 

“Why does Mattie hate me?” Laura grumbles as they leave.

“I don’t think she does,” Carmilla replies.  “If she did, she wouldn’t give you the time of day or pay you any mind.”

Laura mulls this over and seems satisfied with this assessment.

 

“So, I was thinking about a serious answer to your question the other night,” Carmilla says.

Laura chuckles.  “Gonna have to be more specific than that, Carm.  I ask a lotta questions.”

“True,” Carmilla laughs.  “I meant about what I want to do after Shiz.”

“Ah, yes.  Do you have a serious answer that’s not pigment-related?”

Carmilla nods.  “Well, I mean… I still want to get rid of my green skin color,” she admits.  “But other than that… You want to take the knowledge you learn here and use it to help people, right?”

“Yep!  Just want to give others the knowledge and tools to live a better life,” Laura replies.

Carmilla hums in response.  “Well, I was thinking I could do that, too.  I’m a tool.”

“No disagreement there,” Laura says dryly, earning a playful smack from Carmilla.

“I  _ meant _ , I can do spells and stuff to help you help people,” Carmilla explains.

Laura grins and stops walking, tugging Carmilla to face her.  “That sounds great, Carm. But only if it’s what  _ you _ want.”

Carmilla starts to reply but there’s a loud clamor and a roar nearby.  Laura runs off immediately, with a fretting Carmilla following her.

 

They duck behind a building wall and peer around the corner, finding a bunch of Theo’s friends hitting at something metallic with sticks and laughing.

Laura starts to lunge forward, but Carmilla grabs her.

“Laura,  _ no _ !  Are you crazy?” Carmilla asks, hushed.  “You’re about to just run out there to yell at a bunch of grown men with clubs?  Death wish, much?”

Laura yanks her arm away and charges into the open without hesitation, leaving Carmilla to let out a long, exasperated sigh as she hesitantly steps out as well.

“What are you guys  _ doing _ ?” Laura demands.

 

Theo turns first, sneering.  “You and the pistachio nut here to hit me so you can get more detention?”

“Don’t tempt me,” Laura snarls, brushing past him to see what they were all hitting.

Inside a metal cage is a small lion cub.  It stares up at her, eyes wide.

Laura’s mouth drops open as she turns to face the attackers.  “You guys kidnapped Perry from the biology observation lab to  _ attack _ her?”

Theo rolls his eyes.  “Just shake her up a little.  Build some character.”

“Why, is that what happened to you?” Laura growls.

Fury flashes through Theo’s eyes and his grip on the stick tightens.  Laura stands her ground, unflinching. If anything, she seems to be challenging Theo, daring him to take a swing.  And he seems ready to accept the challenge.

“ _ Peta babkama luruba anaku, _ ” Carmilla chants, waving her hand at the cage.

There’s a  _ click _ and everyone looks down at the cage, whose door slowly swings open.  Without waiting, the lion cub lets out a yowl and flees down the path, disappearing into the forest nearby.

 

Theo’s attention is directed away from Laura as he turns to his friends gleefully.  “It’s hunting season, guys!” He bangs his stick on the cage for emphasis. “Zetas!”

“ZETAS!” a chorus of men yell back.  With pounding footsteps, they take off towards the lion cub.

 

Laura runs to Carmilla, panic in her eyes.  “ _ Carm _ !  What were you thinking?  Perry’s running around alone out there and those guys are gonna kill her!”

Carmilla crosses her arms.  “I was  _ thinking _ , I didn’t want a gang of frat brotein shakes beating you to death with sticks,  _ and _ that it’s getting dark and they won’t be able to find a small lion cub in the forest.”  She smirks. “But  _ we _ can.”

Laura’s face bunches up in confusion before she slowly realizes what Carmilla’s getting at.  “You can sense her life force.”

Carmilla boops Laura on the nose with a smile.  “What a smart cookie.”

Laura grins and gestures for Carmilla to lead the way.

 

They cut straight into the forest, dodging branches and carefully stepping over rocks.

“See?  Told you I’m the perfect tool for you to use to help people and things,” Carmilla whispers, leading the way.

Laura frowns and steps in front of Carmilla, cutting her off.  “Wait. If we’re gonna talk about the future like this, I want to set something straight.”

Carmilla looks at her expectantly.

“I don’t want you to be a tool.  Something someone uses. A means to an end,” Laura explains.  “I don’t want it to be something you feel forced to do. If we’re gonna help people and make the world better, I want us to do it as partners.  Together.” She offers a gentle smile. “Okay?”

Carmilla stares at Laura in wonder, swallowing hard. “Okay,” she says quietly.  

“What?” Laura asks, laughing nervously.

Carmilla laughs softly.  “I—”

 

There’s a soft mew nearby and Carmilla rolls her eyes, turning towards the sound.  She kneels, making eye contact with a harried and frantic-looking lion cub.

“We found Perry,” Laura sighs in relief.

She purrs and walks to Laura, bumping her head against Laura’s ankle before curling up at her feet.  “Okay, we’re gonna get you back to safety. Make sure there’s security protocols so this can’t happen to you again.”  She looks at Carmilla with a warm smile. “Thanks, Carm. We make a pretty good team, don’t we?”

Carmilla laughs quietly.  “Yeah. We do.”

 

She doesn’t miss the way Laura’s eyes slowly travel to her lips and can’t stop her own eyes from doing the same.

So she leans in.

 

A branch snaps nearby and Laura and Carmilla both tense, turning to the sound and looking vaguely disappointed.

Laura bends down and picks Perry up, holding her securely in her arms.

Mattie steps into the clearing.

 

“What in the world are you two up to?” Mattie asks, bewildered.  “I started tracking you and I am not thrilled I had to trek through these darn woods to find you.”

“The Zetas were antagonizing this lion cub so Carm freed her so they’d run off and we could save her,” Laura replies.

Mattie sighs.  “I’ll deal with them.”  She gestures at Perry. “And with this little ball of fuzz.”

Perry huffs in Laura’s arms, looking offended.

“Why were you looking for us?” Carmilla asks.

 

“Ah, right,” Mattie says, scrunching up her face in disgust and shaking her head when Laura offers Perry to her.  She turns to face Carmilla. “My important meeting was with the Wizard of Oz. She would like an in-person meeting with you in Oz in a couple days once she has made the proper arrangements.”

Mattie’s voice remains even, but her genuinely warm smile gives away her pride for her student.

Carmilla and Laura’s eyes widen.

“Oh, my gosh!  Carm! That’s great!” Laura squeals immediately.  She does a little dorky dance, happily squeezing a very confused Perry in her arms.  “It’s everything you want!”

Carmilla’s eyes well up with tears and she sniffles, a smile growing on her face as she looks at Laura.

 

Mattie clears her throat.  “That is an acceptance of the invitation, right?  I do have to set up the accommodations as soon as possible.”

_ Trust our instincts.  Close our eyes and leap.   _ Carmilla continues to keep her eyes on Laura as she takes a deep breath and replies.  “On one condition.”

“Okay…”  Mattie says impatiently.

“Laura comes with me.”  She glances over at Mattie.  “Laura and I are a team and I’ll  _ only _ go see the Wizard if she gets to come with me.”

Mattie looks back and forth between them.

Laura’s open and closes a few times in shock before she manages to make words come out.  “Carm…”

“Will the Wizard be able to accommodate  _ both _ of us?” Carmilla asks firmly.

Mattie laughs softly.  “Yes, Carm, I think she definitely can.  Is that all?”

Carmilla nods, trying to hide the blush that’s already made its way all over Laura’s face.

“Good,” Mattie replies.  “You sap.” She gestures at Perry.  “You. Come with me. The Zetas have a few things to answer for.”

Perry obediently leaps out of Laura’s hold and follows Mattie back towards campus.

 

“Carm, thanks for asking for me to come,” Laura says shyly.  “I-I’m not sure why you did it, but… Thanks.”

“Ya killin’ me, Hollis,” Carmilla scoffs with a smile.  “Is it really so surprising? Ever since we’ve met, you…  I dunno, it’s like I never thought I’d be normal enough to even have dreams, let alone come anywhere near to realizing them.  But with you, it all feels possible. Even for a green freak.” She shrugs shyly. “It’s like… Everyone looks at me, but you’re the first person who saw me.”

Laura grins and tucks a strand of hair behind Carmilla’s ear.  “Well, you’re worth seeing.”

Carmilla blushes at this and Laura withdraws her hand, unsure of what to do next.  So she beams at Carmilla.

 

“We’re off to see the Wizard!” Laura squeals.

Carmilla chuckles.  “To the wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeere we go! Nearing the turning point in the story ;)  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Updates every Friday until I finish writing the whole fic ^-^  
> As always-- Stay awesome <3


	9. One Short Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla and Laura meet up with Mattie and Will in Emerald City. Carmilla panics about meeting the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, but finds an inner strength when the encounter doesn't quite go as planned. Laura has a realization about the missing Animals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> still dealing with the wake and burial of my favorite uncle so I wanted to throw this chapter up early while I had a chance  
> love you guys.

“Holy avocado,” Laura breathes as the train pulls into Emerald City.

Carmilla rolls her eyes, but can’t say she doesn’t share the sentiment.

The view outside the window is already amazing enough that when they step out of the train, they’re both rendered immobile and speechless.

 

Everything as far as the eye can see is a vibrant green, a sea of buildings and infrastructure with stunning radiance.  

As much as Carmilla hated to admit it, “Holy avocado” was a pretty apt description.

 

“There you guys are,” Mattie greets, with a disgruntled Will behind her.  “Did your train make local stops, or something?”

“Oh, no, we just… took a later train,” Laura replies. _Because_ someone _overslept_ , she adds silently, giving Carmilla a pointed look and grinning when Carmilla stares down at the ground sheepishly.

Mattie glances back and forth between them.  “Right. Anyway, best not to keep the Wizard waiting.  It should be one short day in the Emerald City.” She gestures for them to follow and a bored Will trails behind.

 

The trip takes longer than Mattie would’ve liked because Laura keeps dragging Carmilla around to marvel at the gorgeous structures and, to be honest, Carmilla doesn’t mind admiring them to postpone the meeting for a bit.

If anything, she welcomes the distraction-- just like she welcomed Laura silently agreeing to believe that Carmilla had “overslept” when they both knew she was awake the whole time and too nervous to get out of bed right away.

Just like she welcomed the fact that when she didn’t realize how tense she was on the train until Laura took her hand and gave it a small squeeze.

Or just the fact that Laura was here at all.

 

“I think we’ve found the place where we belong,” Laura whispers.

Residents stare at Carmilla, but more with a curious wonder than with horror.  Laura’s made a few light jokes about losing Carmilla because she blends in with the scenery, to which Mattie replies that she wishes she could lose both of them, and Carmilla smiles because for once, she doesn’t feel like a total freak.  Nobody's pointing, nobody's staring, and for the first time, Carmilla feels like she’s somewhere that she belongs.

Just a girl walking through an amazing city, with her two best friends at her side, teasing her and laughing.

“We’ll be back for good someday,” Carmilla replies, which Laura grins at.

They continue meandering, taking in the sights.  Dress salons, libraries, palaces, and museums all glitter before them.

 

“Emerald City is full of so much to do. Every way that you look in the city, there's something exquisite you'll want to visit before the day's through,” Mattie explains with a long, exasperated sigh. “So can we _please_ go see the Wizard before the year is over?” Will had already given up and left them behind a while ago.

Laura mouths a “I’m sorry” as she and Carmilla sheepishly trail after Mattie.

As the castle comes into view, however, they find themselves magnetically pulled to it.  The magnificence of the awesome structure towers proudly before them.

“The holiest of avocados,” Laura exhales, staring wide-eyed as they walk closer.

Carmilla chuckles.  “Took the words right outta my mouth.”

They head towards the front gate, too busy marveling at the sight of the castle while the guards wave them through and Mattie has to impatiently go back and retrieve them.  Peering straight up, Laura squints. “Danny’s gonna be _so_ jealous.  I can’t even see how tall this goes!”

 

“It’s about sixty large rooms spread through four floors,” Mattie says.  “Not counting the towers that access the attic and the tunnel system underneath the castle.”

“Whoa,” Laura breathes out in awe.

Mattie chuckles as they step through the front door, finding an impatient Will waiting.  “They don’t call him the ‘Wonderful Wizard’ for nothing.”

This makes Carmilla freeze in place and swallow hard.  Suddenly her heart feels too big for her chest, like it’s trying to claw its way out of her ribcage.  The magnificently huge walls seem like they’re closing in, the ceiling crumbling down on her.

Her vision starts going fuzzy but if she focuses, she sees two large concerned eyes peering into hers.

 

“ _\--arm?  Carm?_ ”

Laura turns and says something to Mattie, who frowns but turns around and walks further into the castle, trailed by a flippant Will as Laura faces Carmilla again.

Her voice sounds far away, but gradually less so.  “ _Carm, can you hear me?  Just breathe, okay? I’m here.  You’re fine. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.  Just breathe._ ”

Carmilla focuses on Laura’s voice and her eyes and nods as she takes a slow inhale, followed by a long exhale.  Laura breathes with her and after what feels like an eternity, Carmilla’s vision and hearing clear.

She takes one more slow breath.  “Where did Mattie go?” she asks, her voice small.

“I told her to go tell the Wizard she’s here but not say anything about whether we’re here yet until I saw if I could calm you down,” Laura answers.  She gently pulls Carmilla over to a chair in a waiting area. “You okay?”

 

Carmilla takes a seat and sighs.  “I don’t know. I mean, this is what we want, right?  What _I_ want?  To meet the Wizard.  So you can help people.  Maybe turn my skin a normal color.  Make me normal. So I’m not some monster.”

“You’re not a monster,” Laura replies immediately.  She sits down beside Carmilla. “Look, I wanted to meet the Wizard so maybe she can do something about what’s happening to the Animals.  And also because she’s got the connections where I can do some actual good in this world, where I can meet new people and learn more and share knowledge.”  She shrugs. “If that’s not what you want, that’s fine. I don’t want to force you to be someone you don’t want or need to be.”

“It’s not that,” Carmilla insists.  “I just… th-there’s some feeling I can’t shake.  Which is ridiculous because… I _want_ to do this with you.”  She offers a weak smile.  “After all, we’re going to become Oz’s favorite team, right?”

Laura laughs at that and offers nothing but an understanding and warm gaze.  “But we don’t have to do it _this_ way.  If meeting the Wizard is too much for you, then that’s fine.  I may want to meet her to help meet my goals, but I don’t want to use you or step over you to do it.  So if you feel uncomfortable in any way, then we can leave right now. Whatever you want, I’ll support you.”

 

Carmilla stares at her in silence, unable to speak.

Laura laughs nervously.  “What?”

Carmilla smiles and lets out a small sob as her eyes tear up.  “Laura—”

 

“Have we gotten our act together?” Mattie asks, re-entering the room sans Will.

Carmilla clears her throat as she looks away from Laura and nods.

“Are you sure?” Laura asks gently.

“Yeah.”  Carmilla takes Laura’s hand in hers.  “Let’s go.”

Laura grins and gets up, pulling Carmilla with her as they enter the grand hall.  It seems to stretch on for at least two city blocks and go as high as the entire castle itself, lit brightly with giant windows.

At the very far end stands a tall woman with her brunette hair pulled back into a neat bun.  She smooths out her blazer as she sees her guests approach. “Ah, Matska, you didn’t specify whether Ms. Karnstein had arrived with you.”

Mattie gestures at Carmilla.  “Well, here she is.”

 

The Wizard walks up to Carmilla and examines her, smirking as she notices that Carmilla visibly shrinks beneath her gaze. “No need to be afraid.  I’m just in absolute awe of your peculiar yet radiant skin tone. How _marvelous_.”  She beams at her. “Tell me, dear.  What do you know about me?”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “That… you’re the wonderful Wizard of Oz?”

The Wizard laughs at that, but the sound is devoid of sincere humor. “Anything else?  For example, what other name have I gone by? Other than Lilita.”

Carmilla doesn’t know the answer, and the Wizard looks over at Laura, who looks like the answer will burst out of her.  “Yes?”

“‘The Dean,’” Laura answers.  “Before you became known as the Wizard you were the headmaster of a magic school.”

 

“I opened a magic school a couple decades ago, searching for the most powerful witch this land had to offer,” she says with a nod.  “But it quickly became evident that no one was at the caliber I needed them to be. Matska came close, but wasn’t quite there.” She grins at Carmilla.  “Until now. Perhaps.”

The Dean walks to a box and opens the lid, producing a book.

“I understand Mattie has been testing your abilities with various spells and having you read out of her Grimmerie?”

Carmilla nods.

“ _This_ is a special grimoire.  It has no author. No one wrote its spells in a magical tongue.”  The Dean shows the book cover to Carmilla. “No one has been able to read it so far.”

Carmilla and Laura share a look of confusion.

“Every witch who looks at it sees nothing but symbols and scribbles.  Meaningless shapes. As if someone totally illiterate were to read any children’s book,” Mattie explains.

“Jeep sent it out to all his nerd friends and no one recognizes the language,” Will adds.

Laura frowns.  “So you guys are thinking that it might be, like, me being unable to read a regular grimoire?  That someone more naturally adept in magic would be able to read this one?”

 

Mattie nods.  “And from my assessment of Carmilla, she might fit the bill.”

“I do?” Carmilla asks.

“Matska has reported to me that, not only are you able to pick up new spells without any serious training, but you can even perform large-scale magic without spells,” the Dean explains.  “Is this true?”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “I mean, yeah… When I get upset, it’s like I can feel all the energy and matter around me and I can manipulate that.  Shake things. Break them. Hurt people by accident.”

Her voice cracks and Laura reaches out for her before thinking better and she simply gives her a small reassuring pat on the arm.  Carmilla looks down at the touch and there’s a faint hint of a smile directed at her before she speaks again.

“It’s a curse.”

 

The Dean chuckles.  “Oh, my dear. You’re only saying that because you’re afraid of your gifts.”  She holds out the book. “I promise if you’re the one I’m looking for, if you’re someone capable of getting over that fear, then I will open up the world for you.  There won’t be anything you can’t accomplish.”

Carmilla still hasn’t taken the book yet as she glances over at Laura, who offers a soft smile.

“You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” she says gently.  “Maybe just look at it?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath and nods.  “Yeah. Okay.”

The Dean hands her the book and Carmilla carefully opens it to a random page.

 

A few second pass as the others watch her expectantly while she goes from page to page.

“Well?” the Dean finally asks, somewhat impatient.

“I sort of understand some of it,” Carmilla says slowly, flipping through more pages.  “Some of the terms are beyond my fundamental understanding.” She squints at the last page she’s turned to.  “This one looks like… it might be like a levitating spell?”

The Dean grins and clasps her hands together gleefully.  “Perfect. I have just the subject. Time for you to prove yourself.”  She nods at Will, who obediently leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later.  Behind him trails a red-haired monkey who’s clearly an Animal but has reverted to their primal self.

 

Carmilla looks nervous as her eyes go from Laura, to Mattie, to the Dean, and finally, to the monkey looking fearfully up at her.

“Y-You want me to test it out on a living being?” Carmilla stammers.

The Dean nods.  “Problem?”

Carmilla clears her throat.  “Uhm. No. I’ve just never done magic specifically _on_ someone before.”

“First time for everything,” the Dean replies flippantly.

“Right.”  Carmilla steels her nerves. _Time to prove yourself._ “Right.”

 

She looks down at the book and focuses on the monkey in front of her.   _Please let this go right._ Please _let this go right._

“ _Ahben Tahkay Ahben Tahkay Ahben Atum_ ,” Carmilla chants. “ _Ahben Takayah Entayah Ah Entayah Tifentah Ahben Tahkay Ah._ ”

 

At first, nothing happens.  Carmilla tries to prepare herself for the Dean dismissing her.

But then the monkey lets out a screech.

Then one of pain, of pure agony.

Carmilla’s eyes widen as her brain begins translating the spell she’s just performed.   _Not levitation,_ she realizes.   _Flight_.

The monkey’s tortured howls aren’t drowned out by the explosion of a green cloud that shrouds the room, knocking the book out of Carmilla’s hands.

She hears Mattie mutter a spell and a gust of wind clears away the haze, leaving them all with a horrifying sight—the monkey has grown _wings_. Feathered abominations protrude from the monkey’s shoulder blades and, with a couple flaps, they are airborne, confusedly gliding around the room.

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” Carmilla apologizes to them as Laura takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.  “I didn’t know. I am so, _so_ sorry.  I need to reverse this--”

 

A loud _crash_ echoes from the room Will had gotten the monkey and soon enough, a dozen monkeys are soaring around the room, their suffered cries forming a terrifying chorus.

“ _Flying_ monkeys! _Amazing_ ,” the Dean exhales in awe.  “Your spell not only worked on that one test subject, but on them all!  What a wonderful transition! Why, they can even be used to make efficient, perfect spies in this state.  Scouts. They'll _fly_ around Oz! Report any subversive Animal activity.”

Carmilla and Laura gape at her in horror.  Wheels start turning in Laura’s head.

 

The Dean’s magic school closing, right when the previous string of disappearances ended.

Animal disappearances, just for them to return rabid.

Rabid animals, like the ones the Wizard had just used as test subjects.

Her current glee at treating these Animals like lifeless tests.  How Carmilla explained that their life force can be used for power.

The Dean wanting to find someone with a certain level of unparalleled magical gifts.

 

“Oh, my god,” Laura gasps.  “It’s you.” She steps away from her.  “You’re the one behind the Animal disappearances.”

“I… _may_ have been collecting Animals to use their life force to power a project,” the Dean replies slyly.  “A project I would like you to help me with, Carmilla.”

Carmilla isn’t looking at her, however.  She’s staring up at the creatures she’s created.  “What have I done?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper as she tightens her grip on Laura’s hand, holding onto it like a lifeline.

“You’ve done something no one else has done before,” the Dean cackles.  “Something marvelous that you’ll benefit from, too.”

Carmilla doesn’t reply, so Laura does.  “They’re in pain,” she points out. “How can you call that marvelous?”

“It’s a miracle,” the Dean insists.  “And sometimes, miracles can only come from sacrifice.”

 

Laura glares at Mattie.  “How can you be okay with this?” she asks her.

Mattie shrugs.  “I’m a survivalist.  I pick the side that gives me the best chance to not die.  In this case, that side is the Wizard’s. You'll find that the Wizard is a very generous lady. If you do something for her, she'll do much for you.”

Laura gapes at her.

 

The Dean looks at Carmilla, who stares at her with an unreadable expression.  So she moves onto Laura.

“Matska tells me you came here today hoping that I’d be able to provide opportunities for you to help others,” the Dean comments.  “I can do that for you.”

“‘Others,’ as in, including people _and_ Animals,” Laura clarifies.

“You’re helping by offering them a greater purpose,” the Dean replies.

Carmilla scoffs and finally speaks to her.  “You’re crazy. We’re not helping you kidnap innocent people to sacrifice for some grand scheme of yours.  I don’t care what it’s for.”

 

The Dean stares at Carmilla for a few moments, searching for any wavering.  But with Laura’s hand squeezing hers back, Carmilla feels resolute.

“I see.”  The Dean turns away and walks away, her strides careful and purposeful.  “I see.”

Laura clears her throat awkwardly.  “So… with that information, we’re just gonna…”  She starts to tug Carmilla towards the door, but the Dean whirls to face them, fury in her eyes.

“ _Guards_!”

 

Laura’s eyes widen as the exits are rapidly blocked by large men in green metallic armor.

“Seize them!” the Dean orders.  She grabs Will by the shoulder. “Throw them into the prisons in the dungeons.”

He nods.  “With pleasure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).:D  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Updates still planned for Fridays.  
> And, as always, stay awesome <3


	10. Falling Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla and Laura try to escape the Wizard's search party. Carmilla has a revelation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: not sure how those chapters got switched around but it's fixed now!

Carmilla and Laura’s eyes meet as they try to figure out their next move.

There’s a chorus of screeches above them and they look up to find the flying monkeys shrieking as they dive down at the guards, grabbing at them.

“Let’s go!” Carmilla yells over the cacophony.

“Wait!”

 

Laura pulls her hand away and for a moment, fear flashes across Carmilla’s face—fear that she’s on her own, that Laura does not find her worth supporting against all these odds.

Instead, Laura points at the book that Carmilla had dropped.  Carmilla lets out a sigh of relief and scrambles to grab it before anyone else has noticed its abandonment.  The flurry of flying monkeys has thrown the room into chaos as the guards are swatting the monkeys away, and the Dean, Mattie, and Will are nowhere to be seen.

The sound of approaching guards indicates that they left to regroup and amass more forces.

Without further ado, Carmilla takes Laura’s hand and yanks her out past the guards while the monkeys have left them distracted.

 

More guards block the front entrance, and Carmilla quickly changes direction, pulling Laura to a hallway down the left.

There’s a staircase up and they begin ascending a few floors before they hear heavy-booted footsteps coming down towards them.

Laura silently gestures for them to head through the fourth floor.  After a couple right turns at intersections and going straight, they find a ladder and quickly climb it.

Carmilla pops up first, squinting through the dusty area.

 

“Where are we?” Laura asks when she’s made it up, as well.

Carmilla runs a hand through her hair, pacing and not answering.

 

There’s some loud feedback reverberating throughout the entire castle and they both wince at the volume.

“ _Attention, castle residents and guards.  Please be on the lookout for a wicked witch! There is a fugitive loose in the palace! Find her, capture her, and bring her to me!_ ”

 

Laura swallows hard, looking around them. She notices light streaming in from a broken window and walks over, peeking out of it.

“We must be in one of the towers leading to the attic,” Laura surmises.

When she realizes Carmilla still hasn’t spoken, Laura looks over at her and finds that she seems to be dissociating.

“Hey, hey,” Laura says, carefully grabbing her shoulders and giving them a small squeeze.  “Carm.”

 

Carmilla blinks and focuses on Laura’s face, and they take a deep breath together.  
“W-We need to block the ladder access.  Ba-barricade the door,” Carmilla finally manages to say, keeping her eyes trained on Laura’s.

 

She raises her hand to use a simple movement spell on some boxes, but as she opens her mouth to chant she freezes as images flash through her mind.

The sight of the wings unnaturally cracking out from the monkey’s shoulder.  Its agonized howls. A dozen of them soaring around the grand hall in utter confusion, desperately searching for a reprieve from the pain.

Helpless monkeys that were now taking to the skies of Oz, eliciting screams from the people seeing them cut through the air.

All because Carmilla had dared utter magical words she did not understand.

 

Laura recognizes the cause of the hesitation and nods.  She lets go of Carmilla and looks to see what Carmilla was planning to use as a barricade.  Laura closes the door to the ladder and, within seconds, has stacked a bunch of heavy boxes on top of the access hatch.

“That should hold for a while,” Laura assesses.  She goes back to Carmilla. “Okay, we need t—”

 

More feedback, this time on a grander scale, as if the words being broadcast to all of Emerald City—and beyond.

“ _Citizens of Oz, there is an enemy that must be found and captured! Believe nothing she says. She's evil. Responsible for the mutilation of these poor, innocent monkeys! Her green skin is but an outward manifestation of her twisted nature! This distortion…. this repulsion... this..._ Wicked Witch _!_ ”

Laura winces and looks over to Carmilla, who is clearly having some kind of internal crisis.  “Carm, don’t be afraid, okay? I’m here with you. We’ll figure something out. We just gotta find a way out of here.”

 

Carmilla looks at Laura— _really_ looks at her.  And something clicks.

“I’m not.”

 

Laura frowns, confused.  “You’re not, what?”

“I’m not afraid.”  Carmilla smiles at Laura, making her even more confused.  “Something has changed within me. Something is not the same.  I'm through with playing by the rules of someone else’s game. Too late for second-guessing.  Too late to go back to sleep.” She pauses “It's time to trust our instincts. Close our eyes and leap.”

Laura grins.  “Through accepting limits coz someone says they're so?”

Carmilla nods before looking around the room, her eyes landing on an abandoned broom.  She walks over, grimoire in hand. “I have an idea.”

 

She flips through some pages, muttering that she “saw it somewhere” before finding the spell she was searching for.  She focuses on the broom in front of her and closes her eyes.

“ _Ahben Tahkay Ah Tum Entay Ditum Entayah._ ”

The broom glows green before slowly levitating off the floor, holding a horizontal position.  Carmilla carefully straddles it and it lifts her a few inches off the ground.

 

“Oh my gosh, you’re flying,” Laura exhales in awe.

Carmilla cringes.  “Can we not call it that?”

“Oh, right,” Laura says immediately.  She bunches up her face in thought. “We can call it… falling up?”

“Ya killin’ me, Hollis.  This is supposed to be my big transformative moment,” Carmilla frowns.  “Not sound like I tripped and accidentally went the wrong way.”

 

Laura and Carmilla both squint in concentration.

“Well… you’re not taking society’s crap anymore,” Laura points out.  “So, you’re… defying…”

Carmilla looks down at her dangling feet.  “Gravity?”

Laura grins.  “Yes, Carm. You’re defying gravity.”

“And they can’t pull me down,” Carmilla replies, stepping off the broom and putting the grimoire on the ground so she can give Laura her full attention.  “And Laura, it’s coz of you. You’ve shown me nothing but understanding and support and you make me feel… _unlimited_.  So let’s get on this broom and defy gravity together.”

Laura takes Carmilla’s hands in hers.  “Carm, I just know that if we work in tandem, together we’ll be the greatest team there’s ever been. And our dreams are gonna come true, just the way we planned them.”

 

This gives Carmilla pause.  Her hand clutches her necklace and she seems to be having some kind of discussion with herself.

Laura frowns.  “What?”

“Our dreams.”  Carmilla swallows hard, nervously fiddling with the charm in her fingers.  “Our _dreams_.  How are those gonna come true if… If we’re fugitives from the Wizard of Oz?  If you’re stuck with the ‘repulsive Wicked Witch?’”

Laura’s frown deepens.  “We’ll figure that out later, Carm.  We have to get out of here, first.”

Carmilla takes a deep breath, clenching her jaw.  “Actually, Laura… no.”

 

* * *

 

Mattie sighs as she trails behind the Wizard and her army of guards, scouring the castle for Carmilla and Laura.

 _“How can you be okay with this?”_ Laura had asked her.

Did she feel bad for her fellow Animals behind captured, and experimented on, drained of an essential amount of life force, only to be released to a world that deemed them dangerous enough to “put down?”

Yes.

But what had the Animal community _actually_ done for her?  It had let itself get so politically and socially ostracized that any Animal not rolling over and taking the poor treatment was seen as ‘difficult.’  Her parents and friends had all done that and now they were all stripped of their stature, cast aside from their esteemed positions. The community did not support itself, and it was collapsing.

So, she was more or less okay with it.

 

Meanwhile, here was the Wizard.  Smart. Powerful. And offering immunity from such treatment if she helped her look for some special magic-user.

And she’d found her.  Carmilla Karnstein. A girl who’d been shunned by the world—except from Laura Hollis—and was lonely.  A girl Mattie had begun to consider as a younger sister.

 

A girl now being hunted by all of Oz.

That, she was less okay with.

 

“We’re finally getting through the barricaded attic,” Will reports back.

“Very good,” the Dean comments as there’s one final loud _THUD_ and the ladder door gives way.

The search party ascends the ladder, and by the time Mattie follows the Dean and Will up, the guards are perplexed.

The Dean walks up to the only person in the room.

Laura.

 

“Where is she?” the Dean demands.

Laura swallows hard, her face streaked with tears.  “She did a spell on a broom and flew up high, said to kiss her goodbye,” she replies, pointing into the distance.  “I tried to reason with her, tell her that she’s not being clever by abandoning a cause just for some silly principle.  That she should stay here and help the Wizard.”

Mattie narrows her eyes.   _This doesn’t sound like Laura_ …

But she remains silent.

“I told her I’d stay ad grovel because… Why should I turn down the opportunity to work with the wonderful Wizard of Oz?  So she decided to fly off solo. Told us if we want to find her, to look to the western sky,” Laura finishes.

 

“Find her!” the Dean barks at Will and his guards.  “Find that Wicked Witch!”

He nods and begins giving his men orders.

Mattie looks at Laura in confusion, trying to figure out why she sold out her friend.  Laura gives her a pointed look. So she looks off into the distance.

And smiles.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the short chapter and cliffhanger, the next update will be Wednesday ^-^ Thanks for sticking with me!  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au).  
> As always-- Stay awesome :D


	11. Laura the Lovely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five years after Carmilla's been branded the Wicked Witch of the West, Laura has since been heralded as "Laura the Lovely," helping keep the Ozians calm amidst crazy rumors about the Wicked Witch's terror. Laura gets through her qualms about the annual Laura the Lovely Celebration with Danny and Mattie's support, and a little something to look forward to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;)

Laura fidgets as she waits and Danny offers her a reassuring smile.  “Relax. You’re gonna do great, Hollis.”

“This just seems like a weird time to be celebrating,” Laura mumbles.

“Look, for the past five years, we’ve been dealing with a growing terror, being on high alert, and fear spreading of that Wicked Witch spreading lies wherever she flies,” Danny points out.  “And _you_ \-- you’ve been a beacon of hope, shielding us from all that.”

Laura swallows hard but doesn’t say anything.

“All of Oz loves you.  So just go out there and be yourself.  Speak your truth.”

She knows Danny means well, but hearing her talk about her in some heroic light, while casting Carmilla as a villain, even after all these years—it still feels wrong.

_But what can I do?_

 

“ _And now, without further ado,_ ” the Wizard declares over some contraption she refers to as ‘loudspeakers,’ “ _to help us celebrate the Laura Hollis way, a day that’s totally Wicked Witch free—our guests of honor!_ ”

 

Laura takes a deep breath before plastering a bright smile on her face and stepping into a giant magical bubble. In order to give Laura a more enthralling and endearing appearance to the public, the Wizard asked Mattie to create a magical sphere large enough for Laura to step into for her to travel in style.

It started as a simple bubble, but slowly grew more shiny and twinkly as she grew more beloved.

 

Laura hates it.

 

With a forced smile, she waits for the bubble to bring her to the podium before coming to a stop and opening up for her.  She pauses once she exits it, letting the hundreds of people in attendance applaud to a stop.

“Fellow Ozians, as terrifying as terror is, let us put aside our panic for this one day... and celebrate!”

More applause as Mattie steps up beside her.  “As Press Secretary, I have striven to ensure that all of Oz knows the story of your braverism! How I vividly remember... The day you were first summoned to an audience with Oz, and although he would not tell you why initially, when you bowed before his throne, he decreed you’d hence be known as ‘Laura the Lovely,’ officially.”

Laura braces herself, as she’s had to do every year during this celebration.

 

“Then, with a jealous _squee_ , the Wicked Witch burst from concealment, where she had been lurking!” Mattie continues.

Exclaims come from the crowd, with one clear voice ringing out—disguised every year, each time a different claim, but the same voice nonetheless.

“ _I hear that she’s like a giant black cat and that she has an extra eye that always remains awake!_ ” Will yells out in a thinly-veiled British accent, akin to J.P.’s.

The first year it had been a calmer, “ _I hear some rebel Animals are giving her food and shelter!_ ”

Last year, it had escalated to “ _I hear that she can shed her skin as easily as a snake!_ ”

But each statement fabricated by Will always had the same effect.

Mass hysteria.

 

Within moments of the crowd growing in their usual antics, someone else yells out, “ _I hear her soul is so unclean, pure water can melt her!_ ”

Laura frowns.   _What?_

This starts crazed chants she’s never heard before.

“ _MELT HER!”_

 _“PLEASE SOMEBODY GO AND MELT HER!_ ”

“ _MELT. THE. WITCH. MELT. THE. WITCH!_ ”

Laura, horrified, starts to open her mouth to address the furious mob, but Mattie grabs her by the arm and gives it a small squeeze.

 

“Say nothing,” Mattie whispers.

“Do you hear that?! Water will _melt_ her? People are so empty-headed they'll believe anything!” Laura hisses.  “I can't just stand here grinning pretending to go along with all of this.”

Mattie clenches her jaw. “Do you think I like to hear them say those awful things about her? I hate it!”

Laura huffs.  “Then what are we _doing_ here? Let's go, let's get out of here.”

“We can't leave now,” Mattie replies, rolling her eyes.  “Not when people are looking to us to raise their spirits. Not when you’re using your position to help people. You know what the Wizard says… Miracles will have their sacrifices.”

 

Before Laura can argue further, there’s a screech indicating the Wizard is about to speak again, and the crowd settles down.

“ _Please move to the grand hall of my castle so the festivities can begin!_ ” she proclaims.  “ _Thank goodness for Laura the Lovely!_ ”

Mattie and Laura wave as the public square empties, leaving only them.  And Danny.

 

She walks over to them.  “Well, I should get going to the castle, too.”

“I’ll walk you,” Laura says miserably as she starts to leave with Danny.  “I need to get away from here.”

Mattie frowns.  “Give my regards to the kitty, won’t you?”

Laura turns back with a sad smile, her expression softening.  “Of course.”

 

As she and Danny make their way down back to the square, Danny playfully nudges Laura.  “So. How’s Papa Hollis?”

Laura laughs at the nickname. “Enjoying retirement.”

“With your mom, huh?  Must be nice,” Danny replies.

“Mmhmm,” Laura hums noncommittedly.

“But he’s totally enjoying being the father to Laura the Lovely more, right?”

She knows Danny’s just teasing her, but it still makes her chest hurt to hear the revered title, while Carmilla got stuck with… _Wicked Witch of the West_.

“How’s Kirsch handling things?” Laura asks, evading Danny’s comment.

 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” a voice asks stiffly from behind Laura.

Laura swallows hard and turns.  “Kirsch.”

“You looked great up there.”  He looks at her, not with anger, but with sadness.  “You and Mattie standing up there, telling lies about my sister.  Talking about how impure she is and wanting to m-melt her. Kill her...”

Laura’s heart breaks at that.  “Kirsch…”

 

He sniffles and shakes his head.  “You can tell your dad I’m doing well.”

“Your parents would’ve been proud of you,” Laura says gently.

“…You think?” Kirsch asks hopefully.

Laura nods.  “Definitely. Your mom taking over as governor after my dad stepped down was great, but you’ve been doing a wonderful job since…  Since the accident.”

Kirsch seems satisfied with that and takes a deep breath.

 

“I just don’t understand.  You and Carmilla got so close during our freshman year.  What the hell happened during that visit here that you can just go around spreading these awful lies about her?”  His shoulders slump forward. “I loved her when we grew up together and I don’t think she’s capable of a single one of the awful things they say about her.”

Laura slowly reaches out and places a hand on his arm, giving it a small squeeze.  “Carm and I ha…had a saying. It’s something my parents always told me. Trust your instincts.  Close your eyes and leap. That’s what Carm did, and it’s what I’m telling you to do now. Kirsch, just keep trusting your instincts, no matter what.  Okay?”

Kirsch doesn’t really seem to get what Laura is trying to say, but he relents.  “Fine. I have to go to the party now. Governor duties.”

Laura and Danny both give him a look, prepared for what he’s about to do.

He laughs and shakes his head.  “Doodies.”

Laura grins and gives him a pat.  “I’ll see you around, you big goof.”  She waves goodbye to Danny as well.

 

Laura gets on the next train that pulls into Emerald City heading west, even though her official home address is south of Emerald City.  She closes her eyes and tries to push out all the awful feelings that come from this ‘celebration’ every year, making sure one very special item in her bag has remained safe.

She gets off a couple stops later, then takes a train south for a few stops.  Finally, she takes a train to the east, towards Quadling Country.

The sort of roundabout trip she’s been doing for the past five years, every time she leaves Emerald City.

 

By the time she reaches her stop at the border of Quadling Forest, it’s dark out.  But she knows the path at the edge of the forest well even at night, recognizing where there are rocks or branches that could trip her up as they have in the past.

Because even though her official _Laura the Lovely_ address near Emerald City, that’s not her home.

For the past five years, this house tucked away in the woods has been her home.

 

She enters the house and takes a deep, calming breath, putting down her bag carefully so the present inside doesn’t break.  
“Rough day at work, sweetie?” a voice asks from the next room.

Laura grins and walks towards it.

 

“Saw your speech.  Man, my reputation has _really_ gotten outta hand,” the voice drawls.  “And I haven’t even had to lift a finger.  Good job, PR team.”

Laura laughs as she passes through the doorway.  “How’d you see my speech?”

Carmilla gestures at a picture of a pleasant countryside in a radium frame before her.  “I wish to see Laura Hollis,” she says to it, and the picture glows before showing Laura in the doorway.  “Newest spell. Nifty, huh?”

“‘ _Nifty_?’” Laura giggles as she removes her coat and shoes.  “I think you’ve been spending too much time with me.”

“I will not allow such _blasphemy_ in my home,” Carmilla teases from the couch.

 

Laura mocks offense and walks towards her.  “‘ _Your_ home?’”

“Don’t you know who I am?” Carmilla asks dryly.  “I’m the Wicked Witch of the West.”

Laura plops into the seat beside her and hums in response.  “That _was_ pretty nifty, though.  Also Mattie says hi.”

Carmilla grins.  “And when will I see my other favorite co-conspirator in _our_ humble abode in the East?”

Laura shrugs.  “Security has gotten stricter on her.  Might be a while.”

Carmilla pouts before leaning in.  “Guess you’ll have to make up for her absence.”

Laura laughs softly.  She meets Carmilla halfway, capturing her lips in a warm kiss.

 

Five years ago may have been the start of Laura the Lovely and the Wicked Witch of the West, but it was also the start of so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand here's where we deviate quite a bit from the _Wicked_ musical. It took a lot of struggling for me to make this decision, but we all know my propensity for Hollstein fluff and, well, we can't really do that if they're split up, right? ;)  
>  Tune in Friday for a flashback to what exactly happened in Emerald City five years ago!  
> And thanks everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).^-^  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au).  
> And, as always, stay awesome :D


	12. The Wicked Witch of the West and Laura the Lovely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The actual story of what happened the night The Wicked Witch of the West and Laura the Lovely were created, and their journey since.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: two versions of "Defying Gravity" played on my shuffled Spotify library when I was editing this today at work lmao

**FIVE YEARS AGO**

  
  


Laura takes Carmilla’s hands in hers.  “Carm, I just know that if we work in tandem, together we’ll be the greatest team there’s ever been. And our dreams are gonna come true, just the way we planned them.”

 

This gives Carmilla pause.

Laura frowns.  “What?”

“Our dreams.”  Carmilla swallows hard.  “Our  _ dreams _ .  How are those gonna come true if… If we’re fugitives from the Wizard of Oz?  If you’re stuck with the ‘repulsive Wicked Witch?’”

Laura’s frown deepens.  “We’ll figure that out later, Carm.  We have to get out of here, first.”

Carmilla takes a deep breath, clenching her jaw.  “Actually, Laura… no.”

 

Laura watches as the wheels turn in Carmilla's head.

"I...  I-I think you should stay," Carmilla stammers slowly.  “Here. Stay here. I think you should stay here and play ball with the Wizard.  Pretend like you think I really am a… a Wicked Witch.”

Laura stares at her for a few seconds before laughing.  “Carm, you have the worst timing for jokes.”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “I’m not joking.”

Laura stops laughing and crosses her arms.  “Explain.”

 

“Our dreams,” Carmilla says slowly.  “They’re not gonna come true if you come with me.”

Laura starts to interrupt, but Carmilla pushes on, looking away from Laura so she can say what she needs to say.

“But if you stay here, at least they’ll come true for  _ one _ of us.”

“Carm, if we do this… You’re asking me to say you’re evil and lie to everyone.  To Mattie. And t-to Kirsch.” Laura takes a shaky breath through a sob. “You want to grovel in submission to, what?  Feed my own ambition? How can you tell me you want that?”

 

Carmilla tries to not let the pain in Laura’s voice shake her resolve. “Look, my whole life, I’ve never really cared what anyone thought about me.  They could call me a monster, and ugly, and a freak... And sure, I get mad but... after the interaction, I’d just let it go. Because I never had anything to lose.”  She swallows hard. “But this time, there is. If I take you with me, you’re not gonna be able to help anyone.”

She finally looks up to find Laura crying, and she feels her heart breaking.

“I’d be helping you.”  Laura sniffles, tears streaming down her face.  “What’s the point in trying to help anyone if I can’t help  _ you _ ?”

 

“You  _ have _ .”  Carmilla smiles sadly.  “You’ve done more for me in the past few months than anyone ever has in my whole life, without expecting anything in return. You’ve helped me find an inner strength I didn’t think was possible. You’ve shown me there’s more to my life than being a tool for someone  _ else _ to recognize their dreams.  That I can have a dream of my own.  That I could maybe even have  _ more than one _ .”  Without thinking, she reaches out and wipes away some of Laura’s tears, and Laura doesn’t seem to mind the touch.  “And, yeah, one of them is helping people with you. But what if there are more dreams out there that I haven’t even realized that I have, yet?”

 

Carmilla pulls away gently and looks out of the window.

“Out there, I can be free to figure that out.  And I don’t want to drag you through my journey when your dreams can be realized right here, right now.”  She looks back at Laura. “I don’t want you to put your life on hold just because of  _ me _ .  You’ve been striving to help people way before you met me.”

“And then I  _ met you _ .”  Laura shakes her head, her gaze dropping to the floor. 

Carmilla gently puts her finger under Laura’s chin and tilts her head up.  “You can't be found with me. I must go. I must leave.”

“No!” Laura says desperately, tears rolling down her face.

“They'll only turn against you,” Carmilla says, voice cracking.  “Remember at the Ozdust ballroom, how everyone was frowning at you standing next to me?”

Laura scoffs.  “I don't care!”  She clenches her jaw. “We got thrown together the moment we showed up at Shiz and I refuse to believe that it happened just for us to leave each other’s lives now.  We’re a team, remember?”

Her mouth drops open as she realizes something.

“We’re a team.”

Carmilla looks at her, not understanding what she’s getting at.

 

Laura starts pacing away from her, her hands flying around as she gesticulates.

“ _ If _ I stay…  It’s gonna have to serve a purpose for you, too.  Not just  _ my _ dreams.”  She squints into the night sky in thought.  “Okay. Okay, yeah.”

Carmilla tries not to chuckle at how endearing Laura looks when she’s talking to herself.

 

Laura walks up to Carmilla.  “I’ll stay and apologize to the Wizard and tell her I want a shot at the opportunities she can give me.  I’ll keep quiet about what she’s doing to the Animals-- for now, until I can find a way to stop her. Coz announcing to all of Oz that their  _ beloved _ Wizard is some kidnapping fiend probably won’t go over well with no plan.  I’ll play along until I can figure something out on that front. And in the meantime, I’ll be able to help the people of Oz.  As for helping  _ you _ ...”

Laura grins.

“My dad has a house to the southeast.  After his first year as governor of Munchkin Country, the mayor of Quadling Country gave him a piece of land, and my parents built a home at the edge of the forest. It’s nestled on the Northern border of the forest, the only house there.  It was so quaint and charming and we used to use it as a family getaway when the pressure got too much for him... Except after my mom died, coz then the whole place reminded him of her, so we just stopped visiting it…”

Her voice trails off and Carmilla frowns.

“Not the point.”  Laura shakes her head to snap herself out of it.  “No one bothered us there because… My parents used their own money that they’d saved up before becoming governor.  It’s not on the books. There’s no paper trail.”

 

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Which means…”

“No one would be able to track  _ you _ over there,” Laura finishes.  “You could do whatever you need for yourself around Oz, but at the end of the day, you’d have your home to go back to.”

“Our home.”

“What?” Laura asks, confused.

_ “Our _ home.”  Carmilla steps forward.  “When whatever happens after I leave here, happens-- come to that house and live with me.  You said it yourself-- We got thrown together the moment we showed up at Shiz. Why leave each other’s lives now?  So… come live with me. Come with me.”

 

Laura stares into Carmilla’s eyes for any sign of insecurity, but all she finds is resolve.  And that’s all she needs.

“Okay.”

Carmilla grins, letting out a sigh of relief.  “Yeah?”

Laura nods and closes the gap between them.  “Yeah.”

“Laura… if I had never met you, I never would’ve had the strength to do any of this,” Carmilla whispers.

Laura shakes her head.  “Yes, you would.  A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch. And you’re about to fly, Carm. ”

Her eyes slowly wander down to Carmilla’s lips and she feels Carmilla’s gaze lower as well.

And, just like they have felt drawn to each other from their first moment at Shiz, there’s a pull again.

 

So they meet in the middle, and their lips graze.

Laura’s hands go to Carmilla’s arms, as if she’s afraid to let her go.

Carmilla deepens the kiss first, cupping Laura’s face in her hands.  Laura lets out a happy and surprised squeal against her lips, which makes Carmilla laugh through the kiss.

 

And then they hear heavy footsteps beneath them.  And then a  _ thud _ .

“ _ They must be in the attic!” _

_ “The door is barricaded! _ ”

“ _ Let’s find a way to get this open! _ ”

 

Carmilla pulls away from Laura, giving her a sad smile.

“Guess that’s my cue to leave.”

Laura sniffles as she nods.  “Remember. The northeastern border of the Forest in Quadling Country.  I’ll meet you there as soon as I can. Hell, I’ll even tell them you took off to the west to really throw them off.”

Carmilla laughs softly and gives Laura one more peck on the lips.  “You’re amazing, Laura Hollis.”

Laura returns the peck.  “ _ We’re _ amazing.”

Carmilla nods.  “ And whatever happens next, we’re gonna do it together.”

 

There are more  _ thuds _ on the other side of the ladder hatch as it starts to give way.

Carmilla reluctantly gets onto the hovering broom, grimoire in hand.  She gives Laura one last look before hopping off the ground, and the broom lifts her several feet off the floor before shooting her out of the window, through the skies.

 

Seconds later, several guards begin piling into the attic, followed by the Dean, Will, and Mattie.

 

“Where is she?” the Dean demands.

“She did a spell on a broom and took off,” Laura replies, pointing into the distance, towards the Western skies, where all their eyes follow, away from Carmilla’s departure.  “I tried to reason with her, tell her that she’s not being clever by abandoning a cause just for some silly principle. That she should stay here and help the Wizard. I told her I’d stay and grovel because… Why should I turn down the opportunity to work with the wonderful Wizard of Oz?  But she called out my And she decided to fly off solo. Told us if we want to find her, to look to the western sky.”

The words taste like ash in her mouth, but she pushes through.  At the very least, to keep them all distracted while Carmilla makes her escape. 

 

This seems to work as the Dean and Will begin barking orders to the guards to “find that Wicked Witch!”

 

The only person who doesn’t seem to be impulsively taking action is Mattie. Recognizing that this is all very out of character for Laura to say and do, she decides to look to the eastern skies-- where a faint figure can be seen flying off in the distance.

And with one knowing look, Mattie smiles at Laura, but keeps silent.

 

Realizing that the citizens of Oz are now terrified not only of the flying monkeys swooping around, but also of a Wicked Witch on the loose, the Dean decides to name Laura a hero, with the title “Laura the Lovely.”

Mattie later explains that, from a PR standpoint, the Wizard did this to show the people that the Wizard will love and protect them no matter what.  A horrifying sign of the level of insidiousness Laura finds herself up against if she hopes to sway the public’s opinion against the Wizard.

 

The next several days are spent grooming Laura to become a public icon.  Mattie is promoted to Press Secretary to aid Laura. After a week, they finally get a private moment, and Laura tells Mattie what really happened in the attic.  Mattie quickly agrees to help them keep up the ruse to the best of her ability.

Will is put in charge of the Royal Guard, with his sole mission being to find Carmilla.

 

It takes a few weeks for Mattie and Laura to finally come up with an excuse for Laura to leave the public eye-- and Laura manages to make it out to the Quadling Forest, where a nervous Carmilla is waiting.

The week involves a tearful reunion and several reassurances that they’re staying committed to this plan together, and then Laura has to go back for more  _ Laura the Lovely _ duties.

 

After a couple months, her father retires to a home he has in Gillikin Country, which makes it easier for her to see Carmilla without drawing attention to the fact that she’s not spending a lot of time in her castle.

Mattie continues trying to teach Laura magic, but with all the distractions of her tasks around Oz, Laura still hasn’t been able to cast a single spell yet.

 

Laura still finds the ability to help people, using the Wizard’s resources as promised to her.  Carmilla watches proudly as Laura pushes some policies through the Oz council to get the rich to give more food to the hungry.  She creates safe havens for Animals, run by Animals. There are anti-bullying measures put into place at schools, including Shiz.

Several conflicts that were about turn into wars are quickly halted when Laura leads peaceful verbal negotiations.  Parades and parties and celebrations are routinely held around Oz to celebrate these accomplishments and raise morale.

Oz isn’t perfect, but people adore Laura the Lovely for taking steps to make it better.

 

The Kirsches take over as governor of Munchkin Country, trying to calm down the hysteria that the Wicked Witch may be dwelling among them.  One night, Mrs. Kirsch and her husband are traveling back from a function at Emerald City, when their envoy mysterious vanishes.

Days later, it’s discovered at the bottom of a ravine.  The residents of Munchkin Country vote for the son, Wilson Kirsch, to take over, effective immediately.

In order to better understand the people, Laura recommends that Danny go work with Kirsch to keep the peace.

Kirsch still treats Laura as coldly as he can, but Carmilla continues to ask her to keep up the lies.  She doesn’t want him to be dragged into the witch hunt for her.

 

She barely wants Laura to be in it, but Laura remains firmly along for the ride.

Through meetings of hearing people call Carmilla a monster.  Of talks of murdering her.

Through missions with Mattie to smuggle out more grimoires for Carmilla to read and learn from.

Through mobs searching through the western lands for the Wicked Witch.

Through Carmilla learning to cast a spell that created a false image of her across Oz, to throw suspicion off.

 

Through some unexpected backlash from Animals against Laura for being a symbol of oppressing any opposition to the Wizard, and to the norm.

Through hiding the attacks on her from Carmilla, so she could continue to advance her magical abilities in peace.

 

Through nights curled up with Carmilla by the fireplace, reading to each other.

Through making home-cooked meals and baking cookies and eating meals at the same table.

Through sunrises and sunsets.

Through joking and laughter.

Through star-gazing and dances on a balcony at night and cups of hot chocolate.

 

As Laura snuggles up to Carmilla’s side, she feels a sigh of content, and Laura presses a light kiss to her cheek.

“You feel tense.  What are you thinking so hard about, cupcake?”   
Laura mimics Carmilla’s sigh of content.

“You’re not fooling anyone, Hollis.”

Laura giggles.  “You know, five years ago, when you told me to stay behind, it felt like the worst idea.  Like that wasn’t you handing me my dreams, but taking ours away.”

Carmilla turns to her with a frown.  “Laura...”

“But now I’m thinking it was the best route we could’ve taken,” Laura quickly adds. “You’ve had your freedom to grow your gifts.  And I’ve had the power to help people.”

Carmilla slowly smiles.

Laura gets up and reaches into her bag.  “Got you a little something.”

 

She pulls out a small box and hands it to Carmilla, who opens it carefully.

She chuckles as she takes out two conjoined figurines.  One is a small green Wicked Witch, with an exaggerated giant nose and a large black hat and cape, riding on a broom.  Behind her on the broom is a Laura the Lovely, arms wrapped around the Wicked Witch’s waist.

“Limited edition,” Laura jokes.  “Made by Laura the Lovely herself.  With glue.”

Carmilla laughs and kisses Laura on the lips.  “I love it.”

She puts it down carefully on the coffee table.

“And I got you something, too.”

 

Carmilla gets up and heads to the back room, which has become dedicated for her to read her grimoires and practice her magic.  She returns and holds out her hands in front of Laura.

After examining them for a few seconds, Laura laughs nervously.  “W-What is it?”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “They’re some long-distance communication talisman.  I... don’t know the range limitations on them, but at the very least I should be able to talk to you when you’re in Emerald City.”

She hands one device to Laura.  It’s got a small hooked shape, slightly thicker on one end.

“That part goes in your ear,” Carmilla explains.

Laura watches as Carmilla puts one in hers and copies her.  Carmilla holds up a finger and steps out onto the balcony outside, overseeing the forest treetops.

 

“ _ Grumpy cat to Cupcake, Grumpy Cat to Cupcake, _ ” Laura hears Carmilla’s voice in her ear.  “ _ Can you hear me? _ ”

Laura giggles.  “ _ Loud and clear. _ ”

“ _ Now even when we’re not together, we can still talk.  When it’s safe, of course. _ ”

“ _ Well, I think we both know it’s mostly gonna be me rambling and you patiently listening, _ ” Laura teases.

There’s a pause before a very sincere response comes through.  “ _ That’s my favorite part of any day.  Hearing you talk about yours. _ ”

Laura smiles.  “ _ And the favorite part of my days is talking to you. _ ”

When Carmilla doesn’t reply, she gets up and heads out to the balcony.

 

Carmilla looks at Laura with such a gentle expression as she removes her earpiece and Laura does the same.  Her eyes shine in the moonlight, her gaze loving and kind.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Laura breathes out, walking closer to Carmilla.  She reaches out and caresses Carmilla’s cheek. “All of you. Inside and out.”

“You’re beautiful, too,” Carmilla replies.  “What a pair are we, huh?” She leans forward and kisses Laura, slowly and carefully, as if moving too fast or too much would shatter an illusion.  It still throws Laura sometimes that Carmilla is so gentle with her.

Nothing like the Wicked Witch that all of Oz fears.

 

“Happy anniversary, Laura,” Carmilla whispers as she pulls away.

“Happy anniversary, Carm,” Laura replies, giving her another kiss.

 

Yes, five years ago may have been the start of Laura the Lovely and the Wicked Witch of the West, but it was also the start of so much more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said last chapter, this is where we deviate quite a bit from the musical, but I still keep the basic plot twist towards the end. And I borrow some geography from the book but it's nothing major. What we DO get is a decent amount of Hollstein fluff, as per usual by me ;)  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is next Friday!  
> As always-- Stay awesome <3


	13. Happy Bubble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Carmilla try to make the most out of knowing they have a couple days together before Laura has to return to her Emerald City duties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this came late! I spontaneously decided to go to a protest with a friend after work last night and then we went out for drinks :x

Carmilla reaches out across the bed, immediately upset when there’s no warmth next to her.  She cracks her eyes open and finds that the other half of the bed is indeed empty, save for Laura’s yellow pillow, mocking her with its lack of Laura.

For a moment she fears that either she imagined Laura coming home last night for their anniversary, or that Laura had to leave unexpectedly.  But then she hears the soft footsteps of Laura downstairs, and the sound of some cooking utensils.

Carmilla inhales deeply, grinning when she smells breakfast cooking.  She turns off the bedroom lights, which Laura still lets her leave on while they sleep.

_What did I ever do to deserve her?_

After quickly brushing her teeth, she heads downstairs and hovers in the doorway, watching Laura move around their kitchen with the usual pep in her step.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she greets with her back to Carmilla.  “Thought for sure I was going to have to pry you out of bed as you whined ‘ _fiiiiive more miiiiinutttttes_?’”

Carmilla chuckles.  “I don’t remember casting a spell to put eyes on the back of your head.”

 

Laura turns and narrows her eyes in a playful glare, walking over for a peck on the lips. “One of these days, I’m gonna be able to cast a spell and _then_ you’ll be sorry.”

Carmilla tugs Laura closer by the waist of her pants and grins.  “I look forward to that day.”

The timer dings and Laura slowly pulls away to head back to the stove.  “Breakfast is almost ready,” she announces.

Carmilla nods and starts getting the plates and pouring coffee before settling down at the table.

 

“So, how long do I have you for this time?” Carmilla asks.

Laura bunches up her face in thought.  “Not sure. I think there’s a growing rebellion in Gillikin Country they want me to check out.  So, like, a couple days?”

“That’s not _long_ enough,” Carmilla whines as Laura puts out the food.  “Ya killin’ me, Hollis.”

Laura sits down and pouts.  “Do you want me to ask the Wizard to send someone else to look at the situation there?”

Carmilla shakes her head immediately.  “No! I was just teasing. Help away.”

 

“Oh.  Okay.”  Laura’s pout remains even as she eats and it takes all of ten seconds for Carmilla to grow very concerned.

“You okay?”

Laura chews her lip and hesitates before answering.  “Are you happy?”

Carmilla looks at her, not understanding.

“Are you happy… with us?”

“Laura… what are you getting at?” Carmilla asks nervously.

 

A slew of insecurities comes rushing in.

_She’s sick of being tied to the ugly, green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West._

_Laura’s realized she can do more good out there without me holding her back and bringing her down._

_She’s not happy here.  She could never be happy here.  Why did I think she could be happy here?_

_This isn’t enough for Laura.  She wants more. She_ deserves _more._

I’m _not enough for her_.

 

“Carm?  Hey, Carm,” Laura says urgently.

Carmilla realizes she’d gotten so lost in her own mind that she spaced out and worried Laura, who’s now kneeling before her, eyes wide in concern.

Carmilla blinks and focuses on Laura’s kind eyes.  “Uhm. Sorry,” Carmilla manages to say.

Laura laughs softly and Carmilla feels herself relax from the sound.

“I didn’t mean, ‘are you happy with us’ as a relationship.  Shoulda phrased that better. Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you panic or anything,” she reassures gently before scrunching up her face.  “Wait. Did you think I was about to break up with you the _day after our anniversary_ , or something?”

Carmilla doesn’t answer as if she’s afraid she’ll be mocked, and Laura’s face softens.

 

“Carm, I’m not going anywhere, okay?”  She gives Carmilla a kiss on the cheek and leans her forehead on Carmilla’s.

 

Laura lets out a long sigh and returns to her seat.

“What I meant was, are you happy with… being ‘Laura the Lovely and the Wicked Witch of the West?’”

Carmilla lets out a relieved chuckle and feels the remaining tension drain from her body.  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Laura moves her food around her plate aimlessly.  “You saw the ‘ _celebration’_ yesterday,” she grumbles.  “People calling you evil. Spreading awful lies about you.  Wanting to k-kill you.” Her words catch in her throat and she pauses as she puts her fork down, averting her gaze.

Carmilla frowns and she reaches out and places a hand over Laura’s.

“Laura, I don’t care what everyone else thinks or feels about me.  I care what _you_ think and feel.”

Laura meets Carmilla’s eyes.  “But that’s the thing. I know you’re not evil.  I never did. All I saw was a lonely girl in a crappy situation. And I don’t get why no one else can see it.”

Carmilla smiles sadly at her and laughs softly.  “Because, cutie, you look for the best in everyone and everything.”

 

Laura doesn’t seem satisfied with this answer, so Carmilla tries changing gears.

“Do you think I shed my skin like a snake?”

“What?” Laura asks, bewildered.  “No!”

“That I have an unclean, impure soul?” Carmilla continues.

Laura shakes her head, slowly catching on.

Carmilla smirks and playfully nudges Laura.  “That I’m a giant black cat?”

Laura rolls her eyes.  “Well, sometimes when you look cute napping in the sunlight and stretching…”

She giggles and Carmilla laughs, too.  “Do you get what I’m saying? _I_ know the truth.   _You_ know the truth.  That’s all that matters.  And that’s good enough for me.”

There’s an unspoken question at the end and Laura recognizes that and decides to address it, as well as their earlier conversation.

 

“It’s good enough for me, too.  It’ll always be good enough for me.”

 

* * *

 

“It wasn’t like, an invasion of privacy that I enchanted this mirror and saw your speech, was it?” Carmilla asks that afternoon as her head rests in Laura’s lap while they sit on the balcony.  Carmilla is reading, while Laura is enjoying the view.

Laura giggles.  “Oh, _yeah_ , Carm.  How _dare_ you intrude in on my very _intimate_ moment of giving a speech in front of thousands of Ozians.”

Carmilla scowls at the sarcasm and flips the page.

“I’m fine with it,” Laura answers sincerely.  “Not invasive at all.” She leans down and gives Carmilla a peck on the lips.  “I’m proud of you and how far you’ve come.”

 

Carmilla chuckles and sits up.  “You’re gonna be able to do magic too, one day.  I know it.”

“You know, the other day, I thought I felt something when Mattie was giving me a quick lesson.  I felt something, and then a pile of books fell over.”

Carmilla raises an eyebrow, intrigued.  “And??”

“It was the wind,” Laura replies sheepishly.  “Mattie asked how hard I was dropped on my head as a baby.”

Carmilla laughs and Laura giggles.

“She thought she could motivate me with a tale about the first time she actually performed a spell,” Laura says, changing position so she and Carmilla face each other.  “Did she ever tell you that story?”

 

Carmilla shakes her head.

“Right.  Probably because you didn’t take five years to cast one spell,” Laura mumbles, which Carmilla chuckles at.  “She said she was at school when she was little and some humans were bullying her. Bleating at her. Taking her books. Throwing rocks at her.  She got scared and ran from them, but they kept following her, throwing her own books at her, too. Awful stuff. So she decided to start chanting a mantra one of her favorite characters says in the books.”

Laura shifts a bit.

“Turns out that was an actual spell and she sent out this force wave, knocking all the bullies away.  She got kicked out of school before a small coven took her in as its youngest member ever. Now she’s the only one remaining.”

 

Carmilla swallows hard.  “Didn’t know that.”

Laura nods.  “I think that’s why she liked… _likes_ you so much.  You’re both one of a kind.  Tragically beautiful.”

Carmilla gives a dry chuckle.  “And beautifully tragic.”

“Tragic?   _Death_ is tragic,” Laura comments.

Carmilla shrugs with a grin.  “You don’t think death can be beautiful?”

 

Laura laughs softly.  “I came here to relax between quashing rebellions, not have a philosophical discussion about the badass _macabre_ nature of you magic-users.”

 

Carmilla stares at her, amused.  “You’re right. So, let’s talk about our grueling itinerary for the rest of the day, hmm?”

Laura nods and dramatically flops down onto Carmilla’s lap.  “Lay it on me, Karnstein.”

“Well, Ms. Hollis,” Carmilla begins, adopting a serious office-like tone as she starts running her fingers through Laura’s hair, “I was thinking I study some spells for a bit…”

Laura hums contentedly when Carmilla lightly scratches her scalp.  “While you do that, I’ll go visit our guests. Make sure they’re okay.”

“And we meet up for dinner…” Carmilla continues.  “And maybe I’ll have a little present for you after.”

 

Laura pouts.  “You got me _two_ things for our anniversary?  That’s not fair.”

Carmilla laughs, leaning down to kiss her protruding lower lip.  “Life ain’t fair, sweetheart.”

Laura rolls her eyes but grins.  “Fine. I approve of this plan.” She starts to get off Carmilla, but is tugged back down.

“We don’t have to do it _right_ now, though,” Carmilla smugly points out.

Laura laughs and pulls Carmilla down by the collar for a kiss.  “No, we don’t.”

 

* * *

 

“And how are our lovely not-at-all intrusive guests?” Carmilla asks as they clear the dining table and start to do the dishes together.

Laura laughs.  “You act like you hate them being here, but they told me you visit every day, even though we _all_ told you weekly stop-ins were more than adequate.”

“What else was I supposed to do when you started moving them onto your father’s Secret Land a couple years ago?  And started using the plant that the Powder of Life is produced from to make them homes?” Carmilla grumps.

Laura giggles.  “You’re the one who volunteered to find more plants so we can make more homes for Animals living here.”

“Well, I can’t have a bunch of displaced Animals trashing your land, can I?” Carmilla asks dryly while she starts stacking the plates.

“Fooling absolutely no one, Carm,” Laura teases, playfully poking Carmilla’s scowl.

Carmilla stops and crosses her arms.  “Well, I’m fooling the Ozians that think I’ve been using some rebel Animals for food and shelter.”

 

Laura’s smile fades and she goes back to washing the dishes.  “True.”

Carmilla notices the shift in mood and clears her throat.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get snippy.”

Laura shrugs.  “It’s… It was the truth.  I just forget sometimes when we have this nice little bubble here.  Away from them.”

Carmilla smiles and brings the plates over before she leans her chin on Laura’s shoulder.  “I like our bubble, too.”

Laura turns in the embrace and gives Carmilla’s nose a kiss, laughing when Carmilla wrinkles it and pulls away.

“You didn’t answer my question,” Carmilla comments.  “How were they?”

“Not that you care,” Laura deadpans.

“Not that I care,” Carmilla says with a grin.

 

“They were good,” Laura says, returning to the dishes.  “Natalie started like a dance club for all the Animals who like to party.  Corrina started a writing club with Samuel. Enki started a book club. The farming is helping keep the food supply full.”  She gives Carmilla a wink. “But I assume you know all that, being Enki’s Book Club’s _Vice President_.”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Laura laughs.  “So what have you been working on?”

“Well, I wanted to do a reverse of my present for you,” Carmilla says.  “Y’know, like the picture I enchanted where I can see you, but instead something where you can also see me? I want yours to be safer so you can carry it around Oz, like with a password activation.  It might need to be a different object, though. The book I got it from makes it sound like yours might need a box of pink wood and a thick frosted glass screen.”

Laura giggles.  “I was going to say, even though I don’t find it an invasion of privacy, I did think it was _pretty_ uncool that you can see me at any time I can’t see you.”

“Well, I’m working on making the situation more _cool_ ,” Carmilla replies.

 

“What else ya got?” Laura asks.

Carmilla stops and thinks.  “You know that projection spell I cast of myself across Oz sometimes?”

Laura nods.

“I’m thinking of changing that up a little.  Oh!” Carmilla grins. “I did a little something else.  Part of the surprise tonight, though.”

Laura huffs.  “Well, I guess we gotta get these plates clean as fast as we can, then.”

Carmilla chuckles at seeing Laura aggressively scrubbing at the dishes.

 

* * *

 

“Holy moly,” Laura breathes out.  “Carm. Whoa.”

 

Carmilla smiles sheepishly.  “You like it?”

Laura walks past Carmilla, securing her bag’s strap over her shoulder.  “I _love_ it.”

 

Carmilla’s trademark broom had evolved a lot the past five years, starting with the simple broom she had found in the Wizard’s attic that night.  The straight handle slowly grew more crooked, and the straw ends became more wild and frayed.

But that wasn’t all.

Carmilla had found spells to make the broom faster and give a smoother ride.  Now it could zip around Oz in no time at all, allowing Carmilla to make actual appearances in the West without anyone realizing she was coming from the East.  Those trips, when combined with the projection spell, really helped confuse Ozians, and the Wizard herself.

 

On Laura’s birthday last year, Carmilla had tried taking Laura on the broom with her, but after ten minutes of soaring through the skies, the magic in the broom gave out and they plummeted down, leading to Laura breaking her arm and ending up with a nasty concussion.

Carmilla had dropped her off at Mattie’s for a healer to look at, convinced Laura would never speak to her again.

Instead, Laura had shown up a couple days later, asking Carmilla to be the first to sign her cast.  

Mattie told the public that Laura the Lovely had been injured from saving a kitten stuck in a tree.  Ever since then, she’d been calling Carmilla “kitty,” both as a code word, and as an inside joke.

 

And now, beside Carmilla’s frayed and bent broom, is a straighter and neater broom.

Laura walks up to it, admiring the work and detail that’s gone into it.  “It’s gorgeous,” she marvels.

“It flies,” Carmilla says softly.

Laura whirls to face her, eyes wide.  “ _WHAT?_ ”

Carmilla laughs and walks towards her.

 

“Well, technically it, uhm… It’s tethered to mine.  I needed two kinds of magic to cover your additional weight.  So I made it levitate and then cast a spell so it’d mimic the movement of mine,” Carmilla explains.  “Which means you can’t actually _fly_ in the true sense.  Sorr--”

Laura lets out a squeal and tackles Carmilla in a hug.  “Don’t apologize! This is great! Now we can fly together!”

Carmilla laughs as Laura gives her a few quick pecks on the cheek.

“You’re not afraid the magic will conk out halfway through when we’re hundreds of feet up in the air and you’ll break your arm and get a concussion again?”

Laura flaps her hand dismissively.  “Pfft, that ride was better than the stupid bubble the Wizard has me traveling around in.”  She excitedly grabs her broom and throws Carmilla’s at her. “It's time to trust our instincts.  Close our eyes and leap.”

“You’re really gonna trust me on this without even asking if I’ve tested this out, huh?” Carmilla asks, amused.

Laura nods enthusiastically.  “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch!”

Carmilla grins and nods as she straddles her broom and waits for Laura to do the same and makes sure her bag is secure.

 

“ _Ahben Tahkay Ah Tum Entay Ditum Entayah._ ”

 

Both of their brooms lift off the ground and Laura lets out a whoop.  Carmilla takes off on her broom, slowly ascending above the treetops and into the night sky.  Laura’s broom is delayed by a few seconds but soon enough follows along and they hover above the homes of the Animals seeking refuge and living on their land.

“How’s it feel?” Carmilla asks.

Laura beams at her.  “Like I’m flying free.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Then let’s go.”

 

She dives down a bit closer to the tree tops for cover, then begins swerving through the area.  Even from a couple feet away, she can feel Laura buzzing with excitement. She glances behind her to see Laura’s eyes twinkling in the moonlight, her smile as wide as ever.

Carmilla decides to take a longer route than she normally takes and instead heads to the small body of water, getting as low as she can.

“Reach out your hand,” Carmilla says to Laura, who does as suggested.

She giggles at the feeling of the cool water rushing past her fingertips.

Carmilla takes her a few laps around the lake, doing figure-8’s and a couple fancy maneuvers.  She finally stops them in the middle of the lake, turning to see Laura’s ecstatic expression.

 

And then a devious smile appears as Laura hangs her bag off the broom handle.  “Hey, Carm?”

Carmilla frowns, not liking the look on Laura’s face.  “Yes?”

“Boo!”  Laura leaps off her broom and tackles an unsuspecting Carmilla and they both fall into the water with a messy splash.

 

Carmilla’s head breaks the surface first and she gasps for air before turning with a scowl.  “You crazy creampuff!”

Laura appears with a smug grin, spouting some water at her. Carmilla narrows her eyes in a glare.  “You’re lucky you’re cute.”

Doing a couple backstrokes away from her, Laura giggles.  “Or what, Karnstein? What would you do if I was _ugly_?”

Carmilla smirks.  “You’re gonna regret asking that.”

 

She splashes Laura a few times and Laura squeaks, laughing as she tries to swim away faster.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Carmilla jokingly threats.  She begins chanting. “ _Ambulahn Dare Pahto Pahpoot Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Agui Agui…_ ”

A giant wave forms between them and Laura gapes up at it.

“This is _SO_ not fair,” she laments.

The wave, easily three times Laura’s height above the water, comes crashing down on her.

 

Carmilla grins as the water settles down.  “Okay, so that was _slightly_ larger than I intended.”  She waits a few seconds and still doesn’t see anything, starting to grow worried.  “…Laura…?”

 

A couple bubbles appear right in front of her and Laura pops up, sputtering.

“Goodness gracious, Carm,” Laura comments through coughs as she spits water out.

Carmilla frowns, holding Laura above the water.  “Sorry. That spell kinda got away from me.”  
Laura pouts.  “Cheater.”

“Me?  You’re calling _me_ a cheater? _You’re_ calling _me_ a _cheater_?”  Carmilla scoffs.  “A couple months ago, you literally moved pieces around the chess board when I wasn’t looking.”

“That was your imagination,” Laura insists.

Carmilla glares at her.  “And that time you flipped an entire board game over when I was about to win just so I’d lose my place?”

“My leg twitched.”

“How about when you literally screamed ‘I CAN’T LET YOU WIN’ in my face and ran out of the house and hid until I relented and said the game was over?”

Laura grins sheepishly.  “I don’t recall that one.”

“Mmhmm,” Carmilla hums, unconvinced but amused.

 

Laura hacks up the last remaining bit of water and Carmilla frowns again.

“I really am sorry about that wave, though.”

“Ah, it’s no problem.”  Laura shrugs. “Just means you’re getting more powerful.  I am _all_ for that.”

“Right.  Well, the Wizard also seems to be all for that.”

Laura huffs.  “Yeah, Mattie and I are still no closer to figuring out what the heck she was up to five years ago.”

Carmilla takes a deep breath before shaking her head.  “Whatever. We didn’t come out here to stress you out with work.”

Laura gapes up in horror.  “Carm, the brooms are gone!”

Carmilla looks up in terror as well before glancing back down at Laura.

 

“Ha. Ha. Not funny.”

 

* * *

 

“Isn’t it cool that all these years later, one of the most useful spells you’ve ever learned was the first one with the fire ball?” Laura points out as Carmilla uses the small ball of flame to dry them off at their destination.

It’s a small bit of land by a river that leads to a waterfall, which Carmilla had found months after the events at Emerald City.  She often comes out there on nights when Laura isn’t around.

 

Carmilla laughs softly.  “Yeah, I’m sure when Mattie taught me this one first, she envisioned us years down the line using it to dry our clothes so we don’t catch our deaths after _someone_ pushed me into a lake.”

Laura grins at her.  “Please, you totally enjoyed that detour.”

Carmilla stares at her with a blank expression, but breaks character when Laura presses a kiss to her cheek.

 

“Oh!  Wait! Don’t put out that fireball yet,” Laura says, reaching into her bag and pulling out some contraption.

“What is that?” Carmilla frowns.

Laura bunches up her face in concentration.  “The Wizard called it a… ‘polaroid camera.’” She shows it to Carmilla.  “Apparently, it captures an image through this, the ‘lens,’ and then reproduces it on a thing called ‘film’ for us to be able to see later and keep after it ‘develops.’”

Carmilla chuckles.  “How sentimental.”

Laura rolls her eyes with a smile.  “Am I really so wrong for wanting to immortalize memories of us together?  Oz’s greatest team?”

“No,” Carmilla says softly, leaning forward for a kiss and grinning when Laura deepens it before pulling away.  “No, you’re not.”

 

“I’ve been practicing with Mattie,” Laura says.

Carmilla raises an eyebrow.

“Practicing taking a good picture, not practicing kissing,” Laura clarifies with a huff.  “Hold up the fireball so we have good lighting.”

Carmilla does as asked.  Laura holds out the polaroid camera in front of them so her finger is on the shutter release and the lens is facing them.

“Smile!” Laura says, pressing it.  There’s a whirring noise as film pops out from the bottom of the polaroid camera.  “Now we just have to wait for it to develop.”

 

She plops down on the blanket on top of the rock Carmilla flew them to and pats the spot next to her.

“Welcome to the Rock,” Laura comments as Carmilla snuggles into her side.

Carmilla scoffs.  “Excuse you. It’s a small isolated strip of land with rocky terrain.”

“Welcome to the Rocky Island,” Laura amends, laughing when Carmilla playfully elbows her.

Laura pulls out a bundle of cookies she baked after visiting the Animals while Carmilla wrapped up her magic lessons and hands one to her.  Carmilla hums contentedly, wrapping an arm around Laura’s waist.

 

“Did I ever tell you I really loved the stars growing up?” Carmilla asks softly.

Laura shakes her head, starting on another cookie.

Carmilla leans her head on Laura’s shoulder, staring up at the stars glittering in the night sky.

“When things got tough and Kirsch’s parents were on me about whatever—my looks, my attitude, my lack of parents—and wouldn’t let Kirsch be alone with me to cheer me up coz they were afraid he’d ‘be tainted,’” Carmilla begins, smiling when Laura subconsciously snuggles closer, “I’d go out on their balcony and stare at the stars.”

She sits up, tugging Laura in a little closer.

 

“And it felt a little less lonely, looking at the stars.  It’s comforting–– to think how small we are in comparison.  All the lives we’ve led, the people we’ve been… Nothing to that light.” Carmilla laughs softly.  “But anytime you’re with me, I don’t need the stars. You are my star. Being with you feels bigger than any lifetime.”

Laura turns, leaning her head on Carmilla’s.  “Carm. You are in no way smaller than any star.”  She pulls away, making sure their eyes meet when she speaks.  “In the past five years, I’ve had my conviction shaken a lot. But there’s one thing I’ve remained sure of.   _You_ .”  Laura swallows hard, taking Carmilla’s hand in hers.  “You don’t need the stars because you _are_ one.  You’re my star, too.”

 

Carmilla’s eyes well up and she leans in for a sloppy but loving kiss.  By the time she pulls away, she realizes she’s fully crying.

“What did I ever do to deserve you, Laura Hollis?”

Laura chuckles and gives her another peck before wiping away the tears.  “Well, you let me cheat at games, so that’s pretty great of you.”

 

Carmilla’s mouth drops open as she rubs away the last of her tears from her eyes.  “You admit it! You’re a cheater!”

“And what are you gonna do about it?” Laura giggles.

Carmilla narrows her eyes in a glare.  “Absolutely nothing.”

Laura grins smugly and checks the polaroid picture.  “Well, look at us,” she says, holding it up proudly.

 

The fireball, out of frame, provides a gentle and romantic lighting for a beaming Laura and a shyly-smiling Carmilla.  The stars are visible in the night sky, with the water twinkling behind them as well.

“Not too bad, hmm?” Laura asks, handing it to Carmilla.  She pulls out a marker and uncaps it. “The Wizard told me that where she comes from, they write down some kind of caption or description on this white part beneath the picture.”

Carmilla is staring down at the picture, marveling at it.

“Maybe we can give the picture a title,” Laura says.  “Any ideas?”

She doesn’t get a response and she lightly nudges Carmilla.

“Helloooo?  Cupcake to grumpy cat?”

 

“‘You’re My Star,’” Carmilla mumbles, her words catching a bit in her throat.

Laura frowns in confusion, not hearing her clearly.  “What?”

Carmilla clears her throat.  “That should be the name of the picture.  ‘You’re My Star.’”

Laura gives Carmilla a gentle smile and nods.  “Perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've got some bad news and some good news.  
> The bad news is that I'm gonna be real busy next week, so I'm thinking that the next update will be next-next Wednesday (in other words, a week and a half from now).  
> The _good_ news is that the next two chapters go nicely together so it'll be another thing where I put one up on Wednesday and one up on Friday. AND I'm almost done writing the fic! Two more chapters left to hammer out :D  
>  And thanks everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).^-^  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au).  
> And, as always, stay awesome <3


	14. Laura's Got Some 'Splaining to Do, Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Laura and Mattie show up to the house with an unexpected visitor, it raises questions for two parties. Carmilla finds out a secret Laura has been hiding from her.

“You’re late,” Mattie says without looking up.  “And before you give me some half-baked excuse, remember I’m the Press Secretary, whose primary purpose is to run your schedule.”

Laura schleps herself into Mattie’s office, out of breath.  “Well, I have a full-baked excuse?”

Mattie raises an eyebrow.

“I dunno, the Wizard dragged me off to meet some newcomer--”

“--I’m already bored,” Mattie interrupts, gesturing for Laura to start pulling out her books.

Laura rolls her eyes but does it, flipping to the last spell Mattie asked her to practice.

 

Someone clears their throat from across the room and Laura turns, her face lighting up.  “J.P.!” She runs at him with a warm grin. “I haven’t seen you in so long!”

He stares down at her, his eyes a bit colder and harder than she’s used to.

“Something wrong?”

He swallows hard and shakes his head.  “Here are the books you asked me for.” He gestures at the table beside him.  “Keep them as long as you like.”

Laura frowns.  “J.P., are you okay?”

He lets out a long sigh.  “You know… when you showed up to the Shiz library all those years ago, declaring you wanted to look into the Animals mystery, I really thought you were different.  I thought you really wanted to help. Which I suppose you are, by suppressing dangerous rebellions and ending wars before they begin through careful negotiation.” His eyes look at her sadly now.  “I just never thought you’d be… leading a witch hunt. Literally. Or be a pawn for the Wizard, like my brother. The both of you, starting mania every year against Miss Karnstein, while persecuting the Animals you claimed you wanted to lend aid and a voice to.”

Laura clenches her jaw but remains silent.

 

“Speaking as a fellow pawn for the Wizard,” Mattie says stiffly, “there’s a lot she wants us to get done, and nowhere on that to-do list does it say ‘receive a lecture from a pale, pasty bookworm.”

“Yes, well.”  He awkwardly walks around Laura and heading for the door.  “I am running late for a lunch date with Will, so I shall take my leave.  Please just… reflect on what I’m saying, Miss Hollis?”

J.P. exits and Laura drops her head to the desk with a  _ thud _ .

“Ignore him,” Mattie snaps.

“But he’s right,” Laura laments, her head still down.  “At least, from his point of view—”

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “Who cares about his point of view?”

“ _ I _ do,” Laura says, looking up with a pout.

“Well, stop caring, then.”  Mattie taps her finger on the book in front of Laura.  “And start getting to work.”

 

Laura lets out a sad sigh but does as told.

 

After countless failed attempts to magically lift a piece of paper, Mattie crosses her arms.  “Aaaand there’s another hour of my life I’ll never get back.”

Laura groans.  “Carm makes this look so easy.”

Mattie clicks her tongue, amused.  “And how  _ is _ Kitty?”

 

Laura picks her head back up.  “She created a magic picture that lets her see me.  She watched the Laura the Lovely ceremony the other day.”

“Very advanced,” Mattie comments.

“She wants to do the reverse so I can see her as well, so she’s trying to figure that out.”

Mattie hums, walking across the room and perusing a bookshelf.  A few moments pass before she finds the tome she’s looking for. “Have her check this out.  It was written by a scribe of the Nome King.”

Laura takes it and tucks it into her bag.

 

“What else?” Mattie asks.

“She brought up something about reworking the projection spell, but I don’t know how, yet.”  Laura shrugs. “Oh, and she got me to fly with her No broken bones or concussion this time.”

Mattie quirks an inquisitive eyebrow.

“She used the usual levitation spell on her broom and then tethered another one to it and that’s what I rode on.”

Mattie chuckles, impressed.  “My, my. She has definitely surpassed me in terms of innovation.”

Laura beams at her.  “I’m so proud of her.”

 

Mattie hums before taking a seat across the table from Laura.  “I don’t have to tell you that if these little aerial trips become a regular thing, to make sure you’re not seen, right?”  She crosses her arms. “Aside from concerns over the optics as Press Secretary… We’ve painted you to be a pure savior that rivals even the Wizard, and Carmilla to be evil incarnate.  Any association between you two would be irreversibly damaging.”

Laura swallows hard and nods.  “Yeah. I know.”

“Good.”  She stands and pats Laura’s arm lightly.  “I’m going to go over your speech to the Quadling Country residents and then we can get going, okay?”

Laura nods.  “I’m going to go… prepare my face muscles for an unnatural amount of smiling.”

Mattie laughs and waves her away.

 

Laura grabs her bag and heads out the door to go wait for Mattie by the carriage.

As much as she hates vilifying Carmilla, Mattie is right.  The only reason Carmilla has had the freedom to grow her abilities this much is because she’s had the cover of the fabricated lies they’ve worked hard to maintain.

It’s been five years of reinforcing that Laura does good and Carmilla does bad, but it took both of them to find creative uses for magic to help Ozians.  Several rebellions were halted with their combined efforts, but only Laura had gotten the credit.

Carmilla insists it’s fine, that she’s nobody’s hero, and Laura doesn’t get a sense that this is disingenuous at all.

_ But it still feels of crappy _ .

 

Laura is so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she turns a corner and walks right into the back of someone, almost knocking him over.  She manages to reach out and grab him and keep him on his feet. “Oh! Gosh, I’m so sorry!”

The small old man turns, slightly shaken up as his grip on his cane tightens.  “Oh, Miss Hollis. Good lord,” he says in a thick accent, more in shock than anything.  “Where are you rushing off to?”

“I gotta give a speech to the people of Quadling Country,” Laura says.  “Was too busy thinking about that, I wasn’t paying attention to where I’m walking.  I’m so sorry.”

“Ah, it’s fine,” he says with a warm smile.  “I remember what it was like to be young, always in a rush to get things done.  Now I’m old and in a rush, but quite incapable of doing the rushing as desired.”

Laura laughs politely.  “Do you need me to help you rush somewhere?”

“No, no,” he chuckles.  “Good luck with your speech.”

Laura nods and waves goodbye.  “See you around, Baron Vordenberg!”

* * *

Carmilla frowns when she hears a train leave in the distance.   _ Another _ train.

Laura was supposed to be back hours ago, three trains earlier.  Carmilla had watched Laura’s speech to the inhabitants of Quadling Country and it went pretty well, especially when she simply blamed a lot of the unrest on the uneasiness that the Wicked Witch had been spotted there months before.  Laura used the device Carmilla gave her to ask to make sure it was okay—which Carmilla laughed at because they had used this reason so many times before, but Laura sounded so worried that Carmilla immediately and sincerely told her it was fine.

After that, there was some issue with heating in one of the Lion’s homes, so Carmilla went out there to lob a fireball into their fireplace.

She started making dinner, expecting Laura to come home as she was prepping the food.  But she’d finished cooking the meal and laid it out, and Laura still wasn’t home yet.

Carmilla sneezes and groans.   _ I think I’m getting sick, too _ .

 

And Laura wasn’t around to take pity on her.

 

She starts to reach for magic picture when the hair on the back of her neck stands up.  There’s a crackle of energy in the room and Carmilla smiles, immediately recognizes it as Mattie teleporting in via her magic pendant, with a very vocal Laura in tow.

Her smile fades when she hears another voice—a voice she hasn’t heard in years.

 

“I don’t understand why you’re kicking up such a fuss about me grabbing on for this teleporting trip--”

The extra passenger’s eyes widen when they land on Carmilla.

“Uhm, Laura, honey…”  He clears his throat. “Did you…  _ know _ that the Wicked Witch would be standing in my living room?”

“Dad…”  Laura swallows hard before laughing sheepishly.  “Remember when I told you on the ride here to not freak out?”

Sherman steps away from her, seething.  “You’ve been  _ hiding _ a  _ fugitive _ in my home?”

 

“Dozens of us, actually,” Carmilla mumbles.

Laura’s eyes widen and Carmilla realizes she said it out loud, mouthing “oops.”

“What the  _ heck is going on _ ?” Papa Hollis demands.

Laura gulps.  “Can this wait until after we deal with this?” she asks, gesturing at her face.

Carmilla’s eyes widen as she gets a better look at her.  “Laura, your  _ face _ !”

It’s covered in long scrapes and cuts and there are bruises forming.

“What the hell happened?” she growls.

“Uhm.  Would you believe I walked into a… wall?” Laura tries weakly.

 

Mattie had gone off to the kitchen and returns with a cloth and a bowl.

“What  _ happened _ ?” Carmilla asks her.

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “I’m not getting involved with a lover’s spat.”

“‘ _ Lovers _ ?’” Papa Hollis yelps, staring at Laura.  “You’re leading the hunt for her!”

Laura huffs.  “I can explain--”

“ _ After _ you explain what the hell happened to your face,” Carmilla interrupts.

Laura looks at her father, who relents and nods grudgingly.  But then Laura seems unsure of where to start with Carmilla.

 

“I saw you end your speech here in Quadling Country,” Carmilla sighs.  “Then what?”

“Well, I went to greet the governors who’d shown up,” Laura continues.  “My dad had dropped by so he and I were talking to Kirsch and his entourage.  He was talking about how more of those hateful “Animals should be seen and not heard” messages have been popping up around Munchkin Country and was wondering if I could do another pass-through to talk about stopping those messages.”  She winces as Mattie dabs too hard at a cut.

“Quit being such a baby,” Mattie grumbles, earning an elbow from Carmilla.

“As I was agreeing and having Mattie work it into my schedule, some of Kirsch’s entourage—old classmates from Shiz—called me a hypocrite.  Said that they remembered how I was ‘friends’ with you during our freshman year, and that Kirsch has been so hurt ever since I went along with this public outcry declaring you the Wicked Witch of the West.  Kirsch tried to tell them to cut it out, but… well, his heart wasn’t really in it. It just escalated from there.”

Mattie snorts.  “That’s one way to put it.”

“What did they do?” Carmilla asks, teeth gritted.

 

Laura doesn’t answer, so Carmilla turns her attention to Mattie, who finally lets out a long sigh, giving up her silence.

“They grabbed her and dragged her away from the guards and beat her up.  And apparently had hidden sharp emerald shards in their bags and threw them at her, okay?”

“ _ WHAT _ ?” Carmilla sputters as Mattie leaves the room and returns with tweezers.  Now that she focuses on Laura’s face, there are small green shards embedded in some of her cuts.  “I’m gonna kill them.”

Papa Hollis stares at Carmilla in terror and concern and Laura sighs.  “She doesn’t mean it literally, dad.”

“Oh no, I definitely do.  They hurt you. So now I have to kill them.”

Mattie rolls her eyes and starts carefully removing the shards from Laura’s face.  “Why didn’t she react with such vitriol towards the idiots who put you into a coma?”

 

Laura’s eyes widen and she gives Mattie a glaring look.  Mattie swallows hard and looks from Laura, to a shocked and confused Carmilla, back to Laura.

“Uhmmm… she didn’t know about that incident, did she?” Mattie asks.

Laura shakes her head.  “No. No, she did not.”

“A  _ COMA _ ?” Carmilla shouts explosively.

 

“I-It was just like, a  _ small _ coma,” Mattie insists lamely.  “More like a long nap, really.”

Laura and Carmilla both give her an unamused look.

“Gee. Thanks for your help, Mattie,” Laura says flatly.

Carmilla takes a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose.  “Laura.  _ What coma _ ?”

 

Laura sucks in a breath when Mattie pulls out a particularly long shard.

“Remember a couple years ago, when I was a few days late in meeting you here?”

Carmilla pauses and thinks back.  “You mean when you were trying to broker a treaty in Munchkin Country and said it took a couple extra days to hammer it all out?”

Laura swallows hard.  “Yeah, so…”

When she doesn’t continue, Mattie slams the tweezers down.  “Goodness, this is gonna take forever so I’m just gonna say it.  The treaty negotiations were interrupted when the descendants of some coven of witches crashed it, saying they wanted to show their support for the Wicked Witch of the West.  They didn’t have powers, so they just injected Laura with some poison. By the time we got her an antidote, it’d almost killed her and put her in a coma for a couple days.” Mattie cackles.  “It scared both sides of the treaty negotiations into signing, though.”

 

Carmilla clenches her jaw.  “Laura… how many of these attacks have you had from people claiming they’re doing it in my name?”

Laura presses her lips together and looks away.

Mattie stands, having finished dabbing away at Laura’s injuries.  “Okay, you two seem to have a lot to talk about,” she says.

Laura crosses her arms.  “Thanks to you.”

“Ah, tomato, potato,” Mattie quips.  She grabs Papa Hollis’s arm. “Anyway, let’s get going.”

“Heck no,” he grumbles, pulling away.  “I still didn’t get  _ my _ answers yet.”

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “And it has nothing to do with the fact that my pendant travel works by summoning Ginger to teleport me around?”

He narrows his eyes.  “It’s unethical.”

“He gets paid in gratitude,” Mattie insists flippantly.  “Sometimes.”

 

Carmilla clears her throat as she walks past Sherman.  “No offense, sir, but I’m not done getting  _ my _ answers yet.”

Carmilla sits down beside Laura.

“Talk to me, Laura.”

 

Laura wrings her hands nervously.

“The amount of attacks I’ve had… It’s… a lot, okay?  Like, yeah, you and I and Mattie have done a lot of good over the past five years.  But there’s also still so much anger out there and not all of it is at the Animals.”  She shifts uneasily. “There are people who are willing to stand by you and the power you showed by flying free.  And these people don’t agree that Laura the Lovely is all she’s cracked up to be and see me as a tool of oppression.  Which… not entirely wrong, there.”

Carmilla looks like her heart broke.  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asks softly.

Laura sighs.  “I didn’t want you to worry.  You were so happy we were doing good with your abilities, and you’d already given up any social standing you had to do it, while I gained some.  The attacks were the least I could deal with. And it’s not like we should retaliate against these attacks, anyway. I want to show people that real change starts with them, as an individual, in order to peacefully coexist and love each other… to be good to one another.”

 

“Being Laura the Lovely and the Wicked Witch of the West is not worth you losing your life.”  Carmilla shakes her head, tears forming. “I would give all this up in a  _ second _ if it meant that.”

She slowly reaches up and gingerly strokes Laura’s face, running a careful finger over one of the larger cuts.  “We said we’d be in this together. As a team. That means I’m not just with you through the good. I’m here with you through the bad, too.  Just like you’ve been there with me.”

Laura nods, her eyes welling up.  “From now on if something happens, I’ll tell you,” she agrees quietly.  “Okay?”

Carmilla swallows hard but nods.  “Okay.”

 

There’s a few seconds of silence before someone else speaks up.  “My turn for some answers.”

Laura gulps nervously.  “Sure, dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally this fic was barely 20 chapters, but I had so much fun writing this part of the story that I wound up adding a bunch of subplots and extra chapters with certain characters-- one of them being Papa Hollis! I was going to go the way of the musical where Glinda's parents aren't really any part of the story, but I loved his frantic concern and felt it would add to how Carmilla finds out about Laura's little secret :)  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). I have something coming up on Friday, so the next update is this Saturday!  
> As always-- Stay awesome :D


	15. Laura's Got Some 'Splaining to Do, Part II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura gives her father some answers, getting some in return for questions she didn't even know she should be asking.

“Explain to me right now what the heck I’ve been missing out on,” he huffs.

Laura looks around for help but Carmilla now seems content to keep her mouth shut.

She lets out a long sigh and motions for him to take a seat in a recliner as she stays across from him on the couch.  Carmilla stays beside her, while Mattie leans against a beam by the kitchen area, looking impatient but also curious as to how this is all going to go down.

 

“Five years ago, when Carm and I visited the Wizard, we found out that _she_ was the one who’s been kidnapping Animals.  She’s been experimenting on them, extracting their life force, and releasing them so they go rabid and attack people.  She did this so she could collect the life force for—something. And the attacks helped sow chaos among the people of Oz.”

Laura pauses, but her father gives her an unreadable expression, so she pushes on.

“The Wizard and her guards went after Carm when she refused to help them with whatever she was planning.  I stayed behind to misdirect the Wizard and Will and his guards and tell them Carm took off to the West, when in actuality I told her to hide out here.”

He frowns.  “So this whole time, while you’ve been out there displacing Animals and toting the whole ‘Wicked Witch of the West’ crusade…”

“She’s been moving them out of harm’s way from hate crimes and onto a peaceful community she’s created here,” Mattie offers.  “The three of us have been working to put an end to the Wizard terrorizing Animals from the inside. But it was all Laura’s excellent and careful planning.”

Laura stares at her, surprised to hear Mattie compliment her.  Then something occurs to her as she turns to her father.

“Wait.  You don’t seem surprised at all that the Wizard is the one who was behind the Animal disappearances.  Behind what happened to Betty.”

 

Sherman exhales slowly.  “I’ve known.”

“ _What?_ ” Laura demands, leaping out of her seat.  “For how long?!”

“Since… about a week after Betty’s funeral,” he admits weakly.

Laura plops onto the couch, stunned.

He swallows hard and rubs a hand over his bald head nervously.

 

“I had launched an unofficial investigation into what happened to her, hiring a private investigator.  And they followed a pattern of missing Animals that not only occurred recently, but also a trail that led back two decades ago,” he explains.  “When I realized how high up it went, I called it off and erased any existence of the investigation.”

“Why?” Laura asks, horrified.

Papa Hollis looks at her, befuddled.  “Laura, this is the _Wizard of Oz_ we’re talking about.  The most popular figurehead is _kidnapping_ the people she’s supposed to help, draining their life force, and releasing them while fully aware they’re now a danger to the public, just to fan the flames of social unrest, to cover up something _else_ she’s doing that’s probably _even worse_.”  He shakes his head.  "That’s not something you can go after and take down alone.  That’s why when Shiz called me to say you’d been looking into the disappearances, I went there and forbade you from continuing.  Should’ve known you had no intention of obeying me.”

“I’m not saying you should’ve gone after her,” Laura replies.  “But why hide it? Why not start building a case against her? Wh…”  Her voice cracks and she sniffles. “Why not tell me what really happened to my best friend?”

She shakes her head, tears rolling down her face as she starts pacing.  Carmilla instinctively follows her but gives her space.

 

“It was _Betty_ , dad.  Betty, who I grew _up_ with.  Betty, who got me to realize I wanted to go to Shiz and learn how help people.  Betty, who you booked that room for me to live with at Shiz years in advance. You saw what the Wizard did to her and you just gave up?”

She stops, looking down at him in a disappointed and accusing manner.

“Since when do you _give up_?”

This strikes a nerve.  “Since I didn’t want to LOSE YOU LIKE I _LOST YOUR MOTHER_.”

 

Laura flinches as the impact of his words hit her.  She swallows hard, realizing her father has left his seat and is now in her face.

“I loved your mother and we both had a dream to save the world but that’s all it _can_ be, Laura.  It’s just a _dream_.”

Laura clenches her jaw.  “I don’t accept that.”

He scoffs before looking away from her to say what he needed to say next.  “Do you _remember_ when your mother died?  The events leading up to it?”

 

Laura swallows hard.

“We’d just had another consecutive year of unrest, and rebellions were starting to get harder to contain.  Your advisors told you to shut down the charity gala to be on the safe side and at first you said no, but then you said yes because I convinced you to.  Then the munchkins rebelling drove the carriage off the cliff and sh… She died protecting me. None of it would’ve happened without my pushing…”

 

Her words give him pause.

“ _Wait_.  Wait, you thought I went ahead with the gala just because of you?” Papa Hollis frowns, his face softening.  “Laura, that’s not what…”

He looks at her again, _really_ looks at her.

“Oh, honey.  You were so young and I put so much on your shoulders when I asked you to lie to everyone.  You didn’t even know what you were lying about.”

Laura gives a noncommittal shrug but sniffles.

He takes a slow, deep breath.  “It wasn’t just my advisors telling me not to hold the gala.  Suddenly, we were facing strange pressure from the Wizard to cancel the gala, too.”

Laura frowns.  “So she wanted you to give in to the rebels.”

He nods.  “But you were so convincing and hopeful.  I realized giving in to both the fear the rebels were creating, as well as from some figurehead miles away, wasn’t the kind of example I wanted to set for my daughter.  That’s why I changed my mind from defying my advisors and went with it.”

Laura’s eyes widen as the truth hits her before her father can say it.

 

“The munchkins aren’t the ones who threw the carriage off the cliff that night.”

Papa Hollis shakes his head sadly.  “When I was told the news, an Ozian army guard escorted me to the crash site.  He didn’t say much, but… he said enough. That was the only proof I needed... to see the lengths that the Wizard would go to to see that the rebellions to continue.  That’s why she didn’t want me to stand up to the rebels and hold the gala. She _wanted_ fear.”

Laura gapes at him in horror.

“So I took one last stand.  I had us lie to everyone and say your mother survived but needed time away from the public eye.  After that the rebellions died down, but the Wizard knew she’d proven just how dangerous she could be.  How much of a threat she could pose to us. To you.” He puts his hand on her shoulders and gives them a small squeeze.  “I’m sorry you’ve spent all this time thinking it was your fault. It wasn’t. It was mine. For daring to stand up to the Wizard of Oz.”  He lets go and steps away.

 

Mattie raises her hand as if waiting for permission to speak, but talks anyway.  “Petition for us to stop calling her the Wizard? That’s too good a name for her.”

“What should we call her, then?” Carmilla asks.

Laura shrugs.  “Something more bleak, like her original title, ‘the Dean’ maybe?”

Everyone seems to agree on this.

Papa Hollis continues.  “When I saw you working with _the Dean_ , I was terrified.  But you seemed to be in her good graces, so I left it alone.”  He swallows hard. “But now I find out you’ve been working with the Wicked Witch this whole time?   _Against_ the Dean?  What were you thinking?”

 

Laura sighs.  “I was thinking that she’s evil, and I was _right_.”  She shakes her head.  “If anything, I underestimated her.  She’ll do anything to create madness at the expense of others’ lives and, what?  I’m just supposed to let her get away with that?”

He lets out an exasperated groan. “This is exactly why they kill off parents off in those plays, I swear. Because if those poor slobs had to watch what their children actually do, they’d go mad, alright?”

Laura’s face softens.  “Dad… I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you worry, I just... I don’t want you to be so scared for me all the time.”

“It’s too late,” he replies. “When I think about what can happen to you…”  He gestures at Laura’s injuries. “…what _has_ happened to you…”

His words trail off and Laura hangs her head, balling her hands into fists.  “I’m just trying to help Oz, dad. The only way I know how.”

He lets out a dry chuckle.  “No one knows how to save the world when they’re twenty-five. Some of us are a lot older than that, and we still haven’t figured it out.”

Laura shrugs. “Guess I’d still like to try.  There has to be some way, doesn’t there? Even if it’s harder than you thought? Even if you don’t know if you can get it right?”

 

Sherman sighs before taking a seat again, this time on the couch.  He pats the seat beside him and Laura sits down, joined by a silent Carmilla.

“Do you remember when you were six and I took you out to one of our smaller homes alone and crashed the wagon?”

Laura bunches up her face with a confused chuckle. “Weird segue, dad.”

“Bear with me?” he pleads rhetorically. “It was a cool autumn evening when we went to the nearby town in Quadling Country with some new lanterns for the palace.  You asked me to light them up so we could have a nice, warm ride home. A small deer ran out right in front of us so I served to avoid it. And I woke up with the horses gone and my legs were broken and the wagon was already catching on fire from the lanterns. You had this goose egg on your head. You were in the seat beside me, just wailing away, and all I could think was that you needed to get away from me. You just needed to get out before you got stuck in the fire. But you wouldn’t do it. You stayed there, in the wagon, no longer wailing away, grabbing at our trip’s supply of water–– screaming, screaming, screaming for help. Some townspeople came but you’d already put out the fire.  I didn’t even know we had that much water.”

He pauses with a small chuckle as he takes in the sight of Laura.

“And even then, you were willing to risk your life for someone else. And that has terrified me for a long time.”

Laura doesn’t know what to say, so she remains quiet.

 

“This whole scheme of working behind the Dean’s back…”  He looks from Laura, to Carmilla, to Mattie, back to Laura.  “I don’t like it.”

Laura starts to speak, but he pushes on.

“I don’t like it because it’s _working_.”  This shuts Laura up, so he continues.  “You’re in a very unique and very vulnerable position to be more popular and well-liked than the Wizard of Oz. People all over Oz love you and hang onto your every word, Laura.  And your opponents stand behind the Wicked Witch—who you’re working with. If anyone could make a wide-spread convincing case that the Wizard is not who she seems to be, it’s the both of you.”

He gives her a small nudge.

“Knowing you’re attempting this scares the hell outta me.  But you have my support. And I want to help however I can.”  He laughs weakly. “Trust your instincts, close your eyes, and leap.  Right?”

Laura beams at him, clearly not expecting this.  “Really?”

He nods reluctantly.  “Really.”

She squeals and dives forward, tackling him in a hug.

 

He hugs her back but pulls away to walk over and pick up something propped up on a table.

Glancing from the polaroid picture of Laura and Carmilla smiling in front of the night sky, over to where his daughter has a matching smiling while looking at Carmilla now, he walks over to them.  

“Thank you for bringing happiness to my daughter’s life," he says warmly.

“I should be thanking you for having a daughter who brings happiness to mine,” Carmilla replies.

“Sherman Hollis, former governor of Munchkin Country.”  He extends a hand.

She takes it.  “Carmilla Karnstein, current Wicked Witch of the West.”

He gives her a knowing look.  “I think a more fitting title is, Carmilla Karnstein, co-governess of Animal Country.”

Laura grins.  “I agree with that.”  She gives Carmilla a peck on the cheek and laughs when she can make out a faint blush.

 

* * *

 

“Ma’am, there’s someone here to see you.   _Again_ ,” Will announces.

“Who?” the Wizard asks.

“That old guy who came in earlier,” Will replies.

The Wizard frowns.  “Vordenberg?”

Will shrugs.  “I guess? He says he has information on the Wicked Witch.”

“Bring him in,” the Wizard says, intrigued.

Will pokes his head out the door.  “Theo! Bring him in!”

The wobbly elderly man makes his way into the grand hall, smiling.  “Hello, again.”

“I hear you have information to help me,” the Wizard says, wasting no time.

 

He laughs.  “Well, shortly after I left this morning and you so generously gifted me with a new home after what happened to my last one, I happened to overhear a conversation between Miss Hollis and your Press Secretary.”

The Wizard gestures for Will and Theo to step in and close the door behind them, and for Vordenberg to lower his voice.

“Continue.”

 

“The Press Secretary was teaching her something, and compared her to someone named ‘Carm’ or ‘Carmilla’—someone who has the ability to create a magic picture to see people, and use a projection spell and levitation spell.  Someone they do not want to be associated with Laura the Lovely.” Vordenberg grins. “Someone who sounds a lot like the Wicked Witch you warned me about, no?”

“We’ll prepare to grab both of them for questioning,” Will states, starting to head out with Theo.

The Wizard holds up her hand and the door lock in front of them.  “No.”

Will turns, confused.  “Ma’am?”

 

“If this is true… If Miss Hollis and Miss Belmonde have been sneaking around with that sniveling pile of mucus…”  The Wizard sneers. “Then they’ve probably been doing this all along. The whole five years, they’ve been playing the long game.  Waiting to pull me down.”

She walks over to Vordenberg, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“Do they know that you overheard this conversation?”

He shakes his head.  “Miss Hollis bumped into me afterwards a couple hallways away, but her mind seemed too preoccupied to think anything of it.”

The Wizard grins.  “Hmm. It seems to me that we have been presented with a wonderful opportunity.  How would you feel about entering a mutually beneficial partnership? In it for the long run?”

She extends a hand and he looks down at it.

“I think losing my home might have been a blessing in disguise,” he admits, taking her hand and shaking it.

 

“Well, as I always say,” she says menacingly, “sometimes, miracles can only come from sacrifice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine) :D  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is currently planned for Friday ^-^  
> And, as always, stay awesome <3


	16. Carmilla Delirium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura takes care of a sick Carmilla while Mattie tries to find a way to help Sherman teleport around Oz so he can see the girls without being discovered.

Laura winces as she dabs at her scrapes to make sure they stay clean, frowning when the deepest one starts bleeding again.

“Hey, sweetie, I’m going out now,” Papa Hollis calls from the next room.  “In case you need me.”

“Okay, dad,” Laura replies.

She hears the front door close.  Before she can get back to focusing on the bleeding mess on her face, there’s a loud crash downstairs and Laura rushes over to the source, Carmilla’s work room.

“Crap, I accidentally blew up the shoes you gave me,” Mattie says, coughing through a cloud of smoke.  “Good thing I didn’t run the test while your father had them on.”

Laura huffs.  “Those were the last pair here!  He doesn’t have anything else.”

“Are you telling me there are no more shoes here at all?”  Mattie frowns.

“There’s a closet upstairs in the bedroom,” Laura says, narrowing her eyes.  “Please do not blow any more of them up.”

Mattie winks as she walks past Laura.  “I promise nothing.”

 

Laura pauses as something occurs to her.  “Wait. Where’s Carm?”

“Knocking on death’s door,” Mattie replies dramatically.

“ _ Stop telling everyone I’m dead! _ ” Carmilla’s voice rasps from the living room.

Mattie cackles and heads upstairs.  “ _ Sometimes I can still hear her voice… _ ”

 

Laura rolls her eyes and walks to the lump on the couch.

“Don’t look at me!”  The lump sneezes from beneath a blanket.

“You caught a cold?” Laura frets.

The lump nods slowly.  “And I probably look grosser than I feel.  I dunno how that’s possible, but I’m sure of it.”

Laura giggles and carefully pulls the blanket off Carmilla’s head, letting it pool in her lap.

“I’m always gonna think you’re gorgeous.  You know that.”

 

Carmilla pouts with a sick sniffle as she smooths the blanket beneath her hands.  “Are we  _ positive _ some of those shards didn’t fly into your eyes?”  Her eyes widen. “Wait. Why are you bleeding again?”  She starts to get up, albeit shakily. “Did those guys do it again or something?  Because I will gruesomely murder them--”

“— _ You _ are going to stay right here and  _ rest _ ,” Laura chuckles, gently pushing back on her shoulder.  “I accidentally reopened one of the cuts when I dabbed at it too hard, that’s all.”

Carmilla seems satisfied with this but before she can make a reply about being chivalrous, she lets out a hacking cough.

Laura frowns and puts a hand on Carmilla’s forehead.  “You’re hot.”

“Okay, actually, never stop with these compliments,” Carmilla replies.

Laura rolls her eyes and stands up.  “I meant, you have a fever, silly. But I mean, yeah, you’re hot in the other way, too.”

“Oh.”  Carmilla pouts again and Laura laughs, kissing the protruding lower lip.

“I’ll be right back.”  Laura leaves and returns a couple minutes later with a cold damp towel.  She gently pushes Carmilla so she’s lying down and places the towel over her forehead.  “How’s that feel?”

“Good.”  Carmilla hums contentedly.  “I didn’t like the part where you left the room, though,” she mumbles.

 

Laura laughs.  “Okay, Miss Delirium.  How about I stay with you until you doze off for a nap?”

Carmilla nods with a grin.  “Okay. But there’s one problem.”

“What?”

“My name is Carmilla Karnstein, not Carmilla Delirium.”

 

* * *

 

Carmilla slowly blinks through the haze of her sickness-induced nap, trying to figure out her current situation.

On the couch.

At nighttime.

With a warm, damp towel on her head.

Wrapped in a blanket burrito.

And no Laura.

 

Footsteps approach and she hears Laura giggle.  “Hello, sleepyhead.”

Carmilla squints in her direction before groaning.  “ _ Five more minuttttes _ ?”

“Sure, I don’t see what difference that would make.  You already slept the day away,” Laura explains lightly, putting something down on the table next to the couch.  “How are you feeling?”

“Tired.”  Carmilla yawns, snuggled into her blanket burrito but not going back to sleep.  “Where is everyone?”

“Mattie is still working on a way of teleporting my dad since he doesn’t want to use her pendant to summon Ginger and Samuel retired when my Dad did. Dad’s out visiting the Animals.”  She pulls the table over so it’s in front of Carmilla and helps her sit up slowly, taking away her old cold compress. “And I made you soup!”

Carmilla’s mouth hangs open as she smells the aroma.  Her stomach growls and she smiles sheepishly. “I didn’t even think I was hungry.”

Laura laughs as she props up pillows behind Carmilla and hands her a spoon.  “Less thinking, more eating.”

Carmilla digs in and moans.  “This is so good, Laura. Thank you.”

 

Laura kisses her forehead and walks out of the room, returning a couple minutes later with her own bowl.

“I didn’t put any chicken or rice in yours in case your stomach couldn’t handle it,” Laura says.  “But if you want some I can get it?”

Carmilla frowns, peering into her bow.  “Wait, did you make the soup and then pick the rice and chicken out of mine?”

Laura beams at her.  “Only the best for my little sick witch.”

“Ya killin’ me, Hollis,” Carmilla says, grinning.

 

“Ew.  You’re both as grossly affectionate as ever,” Mattie groans from behind them, walking into the room.

Laura rolls her eye and twists to look at her.  “Did you find a way to help my dad teleport around Oz?”

“I did,” she answers vaguely.

Carmilla and Laura both look at each other, each raising an eyebrow.  Laura clears her throat. “And…?”

Mattie steps away from the doorway and dramatically gestures at the person hiding behind her.

 

Carmilla lets out a loud snort, trying and failing to stifle it.

Laura stares at her father, mouth open before she recovers.  “Uhm. How are we feeling about these, dad?”

He stares at Mattie, not amused.  “Better than using the inhumane pendant, I guess.”

They all look down at the glittery silver heeled shoes he’s currently wearing.

“Although one might consider making me wear my beloved dead wife’s shoes slightly inhumane.”  He looks down at them. 

 

Laura stands up and puts her hands on her hips.  “Mattie,  _ seriously _ ?”

“Okay, in my defense… I didn’t know those were your mother’s.  I thought they were yours or Carm’s.” Mattie grins. “And I needed shoes with a certain amount of a specific kind of energy coming from them.  These shoes fit the bill.”

Laura narrows her eyes.  “Was it the  _ only _ pair that met this requirement?”

“Would it make you feel better if I said ‘yes?’”

Laura huffs and crosses her arms.

“Laura, sweetie, it’s fine,” Papa Hollis insists.  “It’s a good thing they’re her enchanted ones from when she was pregnant with Laura.  They may be made of solid silver but they were engineered to also be flexible, comfortable, and easy to move in. I think the original spell was to make it so they never wear out and are capable of altering their size by shrinking or stretching.”  He shrugs. “This also means when I come see you, it’s like I’m bringing mom along, too.”

Laura’s expression softens at that and she walks over, admiring the shoes.  “I like that.” She giggles. “And you  _ do _ look great in them.”

He rolls his ankles a couple times.  “Ya think?” he asks with a grin. “A much better ride than anything Samuel ever took me around in.”

Laura laughs and turns to face Mattie.  “Thank you.”

She shrugs.  “If it means your dad doesn’t have to hitch a ride with me every time he wants to see you, then I’m all the happier.”

 

“Well, if you guys want to have soup, there’s some in the kitchen,” Laura says.

Sherman shakes his head.  “I appreciate the offer, honey, but I couldn’t possibly take food from a sick Carmilla.  I’ll eat when I get home.”

“You sure?” Laura asks.

“I don’t mind,” Carmilla offers.  “It’s good soup.”

He laughs.  “All the more reason for me to leave it for you.”

Laura looks over expectantly at Mattie, who wrinkles her nose in disgust.  “Pass. I don’t eat something as sloppy as soup.”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “You’re missing out.”

“Yeeeah, not on much,” Mattie quips, glancing at Sherman.  “So, let’s get going.”

 

“How does it work?” Carmilla asks, looking at his shoes.

“Knock them against each other three solid times and then given vocal directions,” Mattie explains.  “Like this.” She slides her feet so the heels tap against each other three times.

Before she can say anything further, she hears three taps, someone say “home,” and her eyes widen.

“ _ WAIT _ —”

 

There’s a  _ whoosh _ followed by a loud  _ CRASH _ as Papa Hollis flies right into the front door and knocks himself onto the floor with a  _ thud _ .

Laura rushes over to her groaning father and helps him up.

“Ow,” he moans.  “What happened?”

Mattie looks surprised as well before she cackles gleefully.  “You silly man! It’s supposed to be done  _ outside _ .  The spell makes the shoes travel through air, not through  _ solid objects _ .”

“You could’ve led with that,” he grumbles as he stands.

 

Laura laughs and pats him on the arm.  “You okay?”

“I’ll live.  Although I don’t think I’ll ever ‘take a magic object for a quick test run’ ever again.”

She giggles into him giving her a hug.  “I’ll see you around?”

He nods as he pulls away.  “Definitely. Now that I know you’re working against the Wizard, I’ll start talking to old contacts and see if I can test the waters of opinions of her around Oz.  See what we’re dealing with.”

Laura grins.  “Thanks so much, dad.”

A few seconds pass as he stares at her, trying to make words form.

He takes a deep, shaky breath, getting choked up.  “You know, when you were first telling me about this, I was terrified.  Terrified that you’d finally bitten off more than you could chew. Terrified she would get to you like she got to your mother.”

 

Slowly looking from Laura over to Carmilla, he clears his throat.

“But then I realized I don’t need to be terrified.  Because you two have something that your mother didn’t have.”

“What’s that?” Laura asks.

He smiles warmly at her.  “You’re making your dreams of helping people really come true. You’re seeing plans through and following through with actual changes, even if they’re not in the form you initially intended. And you’re doing it together.”  His smile widens. “And you’re making your mother and my dreams come true, too. I am so proud of you.” 

With one last hug, he kisses the top of her head.  Then he walks over to Carmilla and, after a shy nod from her, he gives her a giant hug, as well.

“I’m so proud of both of you.”

 

* * *

 

Now that they have the house to themselves again, Laura is slowly finishing the last of her soup when she finally happens to glance up and catches Carmilla staring at her.  She chuckles nervously. “What?”

“Laura…”  Carmilla swallows hard, playing with the spoon in her hands.  “Could we pretend, just for tonight, that if I asked, we’d run away?  We’d find some way to leave, and we’d just go.”

She lets out a dry chuckle.

“We’d sleep in country side homes and never live in the same area twice. There would be no one to fail, or disappoint, or save.  It would just be… you and me in love.”

Laura puts down her bowl, gets up, takes Carmilla’s spoon and bowl and puts them aside as well, and then sits down beside her on the couch.

 

“What’s going on, Carm?” she asks gently.

Carmilla shrugs noncommittedly.

“Caaaarm…”  Laura says tauntingly.  “Don’t make me do it.”

When Carmilla doesn’t budge, she lets out an overly dramatic sigh.

Laura blinks a couple times before letting her lower lip protrude as far as possible, frowning a bit to exaggerate the pout more.

“Not gonna work, cutie,” Carmilla grumbles, crossing her arms.

So Laura adds sad puppy dog eyes for added effect.

 

It takes all of two seconds for Carmilla to cave.

 

“I hate it when you do that,” she sighs.

Laura giggles.  “You love it.”

Carmilla narrows her eyes.  “I do,” she admits grumpily.

“So?”  Laura lightly pokes her arm.  “Fess up. What’s with the melancholy?”

 

Carmilla averts her gaze, looking smaller than Laura’s ever seen her.

“Your dad.  He said he was proud of me.”

Carmilla seems to be struggling with articulating, so Laura doesn’t try and rush her.

“Proud of us making dreams of helping people come true.  With compromising how it’s done.”

When Carmilla stops talking again, Laura gives her a light nudge.  “You’re not a compromise, y’know. And for what it’s worth, I’m proud of you, too.”

“But that’s just  _ it _ ,” Carmilla’s snaps, getting up with a huff.  “I haven’t  _ done _ anything for anyone to be proud of.”

Laura frowns.  “What? Yes, you have.”

“Not like you,” Carmilla replies.  “You’re out there, facing the repercussions for  _ our _ decisions.  I mean, yeah, you’re revered for peacefully ending rebellions and brokering treaties, but…  People are attacking you. Because of me.” Her shoulders slump forward. “Ozians may hate and fear me, but I’ve never actually faced their ire like you apparently have.”

 

Laura laughs.  “Gotta say, aspiring to get attacked is dark and twisted, even for you.”

Carmilla looks at her sadly and Laura stops laughing.

“Carm…”  Laura gets up and gently tugs Carmilla back to the couch.  “We’re a team. And I should’ve told you about the attacks, but I promise it was just because I didn’t want you to worry.  It wasn’t because I think you’re doing less than me. We. Are. A. Team.”

Carmilla sniffles and Laura’s eyes widen when she realizes there are tears forming.

“Hey,” Laura says gently.  “What’s going on?”

“I’m afraid,” Carmilla whispers.

Laura frowns.  “Afraid of what?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath.  “I’m afraid that one day you’re going to wake up and realize that you are more than capable of doing all this yourself and you’ve just wasted five years of your life being held down by me.  That this idea of us being a ‘team’ is holding you back.”

Laura starts to reply, but Carmilla shakes her head.

 

“Hearing you talk to your dad last night about how you and Betty always had this dream of helping people, and how he’s proud of you—it showed me that not once have you dreamt too far, or lost sight of who you are, or forgot that rush of joy you get from helping others.”  Carmilla sniffles, averting her gaze again. “I’m not that girl.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” Laura replies softly.  “I don’t  _ want _ you to be that girl.”  She sighs and clicks her tongue.  “On our first date five years ago, I asked you what you wanted to do after we graduate.  And… I mean, we never graduated—what with you becoming the Wicked Witch of the West and me becoming Laura the Lovely, but… at the time, you told me you wanted the Wizard to de-greenify you.  And then later you told me that you wanted to offer your magical abilities to help me help people.”

She puts her finger under Carmilla’s chin and gently lifts it so their eyes meet.

“Five years is a long time, Carm.  It’s okay if… If that’s changed. I-If you don’t want to work together anymore.  I just want to know if it has.”

“No!”  Carmilla replies immediately. “No, I still want to do this with you!  I love working with you.”

Laura huffs.  “Then what—”

 

Then suddenly something clicks.  Her mind goes back to their first date and dance together.

Carmilla awkwardly suggesting that Laura may not want to be seen with her for longer than the length of a conversation.

Her thinking that Laura invited her as some form of pity.

Even for the rest of their very short time at Shiz, Carmilla continued to seem wary that Laura may not genuinely want to attach herself to the “monster” classmate.

Laura’s always tried her best to remain conscious of Carmilla’s insecurities and not let them swallow her.

 

“You think I want someone who’s also spent their whole life dreaming of helping people?” Laura clarifies.  “Someone who doesn’t care what it costs them?”

“Yes. I can’t be like you.”  Carmilla looks like her heart is breaking in front of Laura.  “I’m not that girl.”

“You don’t have to be  _ that _ girl.   I don't want you to be wishing to be that.  Wishing only wounds the heart. The person you  _ are _ \-- the girl I know? ” Laura says, softly but firmly.  “ _ That’s _ my girl.”

 

She should’ve known that five years wasn’t enough to undo the lifetime of conditioning done on Carmilla to make her believe that she wasn’t worth anyone’s time.

And she’d make sure she helps Carmilla never feel that way again.

 

“Carm, let me ask you something.  Remember when I got upset after the Laura the Lovely anniversary coz the Ozians hate you and want to kill you?”

Carmilla nods slowly.

“And you said that you  don’t care what everyone else thinks or feels about you.  You care what  _ I _ think and feel.  Because we’re a team. ”  She takes Carmilla’s hand in hers and gives it a squeeze.  “That night in the forest when we found that lion cub, when you told me you wanted to use your magic so we could help others—what was my request?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath.  “That we do it together, as partners.  So that neither of us are using one another.”

Laura offers a small smile.  “I’d like to think we’re succeeding in doing just that.  Whether all of Oz knows it or not, we’re a team. Working in tandem, sharing the vision of a world where no one feels like a freak that doesn’t belong.”

 

Laura tucks a loose strand of hair behind Carmilla’s ear.

“I don’t want you to  _ be me _ .  I want you to be  _ you _ .  So that we can be us.”

Carmilla looks up at her, eyes wide.  Then she leans forward, kissing Laura, sloppily but deeply.  She pulls away, eyes closed as she rests her forehead against Laura’s.

“Thank you,” she whispers, slowly pulling away.

“Thank  _ you _ .  “Laura gives her one more peck on the lips and smiles.  “I know you think otherwise, but I could never have done any of the good we’ve done together the past five years without you.”

Carmilla laughs softly.  “I think just knowing you’re out there getting hurt by people made me a little crazy.  Or maybe it’s the fever.” She shrugs. “I guess I can’t expect all that to evaporate just because I love you.”

 

Laura chuckles and gives her a long, tender kiss on her warm forehead.

“Carm, there’s gonna be people that love me and hate you, and people that hate me and love you.  What’s important is that we love each other. And I  _ do _ love you.  Why shouldn’t that be something good?”

Carmilla grins, her usual flirty manner finally returning.  “Well, I don’t know. I’ve been more partial to wicked things lately.  You might need to show me some more of that goodness.”

Laura laughs.  “You. Are. Impossible.”

“No,” Carmilla replies.  “I’m Carmilla  Delirium.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear having Papa Hollis in this story was such a pleasant surprise I came up with on a whim haha.  
> I'm writing the last chapter now (it's been tough and emotional for me to do so it's taking a while lmao), and I wanted to thank everyone reading <3 Y'all are the best!!  
> Feel free to drop a comment below or you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update should be Friday.  
> As always-- Stay awesome ^-^


	17. Monstrous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura gets ready to leave for her annual Oz Birthday Bash alone as she has for the past five years, and Carmilla takes her frustrations the wrong way. Mattie offers some insight.

“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Laura asks, taking the belt from Carmilla.

Carmilla frowns.  “It should? The original spell was pretty hefty and beyond my current capabilities.  Something about a full-body transformation, and, teleportation,  _ and _ making the wearer impervious to harm.  And I think also something about granting some wishes.”

Laura laughs.  “Okay, but I just asked for--”

“—A glamour for your face.  Yes, I know,” Carmilla interrupts.  “That should be all this does. I only enchanted it to glamour your face so the cuts and stuff aren’t visible.”

Laura puts the belt on and Carmilla watches as her face returns to looking flawless.  She holds up a mirror for Laura.

“See?  Good as new.”

“Oh, it also got rid of that small scar I got from tripping and falling on my face when I was five,” Laura observes.

Carmilla narrows her eyes and smirks.  “Everyone’s a critic.”

 

Laura rolls her eyes as she walks over to their closet.  “I’m  _ grateful _ .”

Carmilla frowns and plops onto their bed.  “What’s with the grump? Spending too much time with me?”  Her eyes widen. “Actually, don’t answer that. Coz you’re not spending  _ enough _ time with me.”

Laura shrugs, moving some hangers around.  “That’s just it. This is my fifth birthday we’ve spent together and none of them have been  _ together _ ,” she huffs.  “Because of  _ Laura the Lovely’s Brilliant Birthday Bash. _ ”

“Well, yeah,” Carmilla says slowly before working to lighten her tone.  “But I’d like to think our celebrating your birthdays late have been pretty enjoyable.”

Laura doesn’t reply to that and Carmilla stands up, carefully wrapping her arms around Laura’s waist.

 

“Don’t you agree?” Carmilla husks, letting her lips ghost Laura’s ear.

Laura pulls away and grabs a dress off a hanger, backing out of the closet and tossing it haphazardly into her suitcase.

“Okay, seriously?  What is going on with you?” Carmilla asks, crossing her arms.

“Do you remember freshman year, I made that five-year plan?”

Carmilla sighs.  “The one that was color coded and took up half our room?  Nope, doesn’t ring a bell.”

Laura stares at her with an unreadable expression.  Then she goes back to her closet and starts rummaging through her shoes.

 

“Sorry, I’ll dial back the sarcasm,” Carmilla says.

Laura silently chooses a pair of heels and starts to walk past Carmilla, who finally has enough and grabs her gently by the arm, turning her to face her.

“Laura.”

 

Laura slouches and drops the shoes.  “I’m just frustrated, okay?”

“Frustrated with what?” Carmilla asks, pulling her so they sit beside each other on the bed.

Laura makes some confused hand gestures as she tries to articulate her feelings.

 

“I had that board with all those cards.  P lans. And goals. And a color-coded chart.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Yes, I remember.”

“I know you thought it was silly,” Laura says.  “But did you ever read them?”

“Other than the one about solving the missing Animals thing… no,” Carmilla admits sheepishly.

Laura nods as if she figured that was the case.  She leans over and opens a drawer in their night stand and pulls out a stack of cards.

“Oh, god, you kept them,” Carmilla comments.

 

Laura clears her throat.  “‘Year one. Solve missing Animals case. Donate Cookies to Homeless Shelter for Youth.  Go to Wizard Con with Carmilla. Learn magic. Vacation in Ugaru Country with my HOT GIRLFRIEND.  Eat a Vegetable- parenthesis- just a single vegetable for the whole year- end parenthesis.”

Carmilla chuckles.

“‘Year two.  Road trip to see a show live with Carmilla.  Learn a spell a day. Knit sweaters for displaced Animals.  Year three. Graduation. Meet the Great Royal Marshmallow. Do all of mom’s spells for the 59th time.  First job as a MAGIC EXPERT CONSULTANT. Donate first pay check to Animal charity. Dad’s 60th Birthday.”

“Oh, you did that one,” Carmilla offers weakly.

Laura raises an eyebrow and continues.  “‘Year four. Tour Oz as a magic expert consultant.  Have officially saved the oppressed Animals from prejudice.  Read more spell books. Go to Magic Con with Carmilla. Track down Jack Pumpkinhead.  Finish knitting project. Provide ‘how is Laura’ updates for Shiz students. And finally,” she says, flipping to the last group of cards dramatically, “Year five.  Win Fyter’s Fan Philanthropy Award. Knit sweater for every Animal in Oz. Two hundred hours of volunteering at a Homeless Shelter for Animal Youths. Thwart evil ruler.  Befriend plucky orphan. Create first spell with Carmilla.”

 

Laura slumps forward with a pout, putting down the cards.

“I haven’t done any of these.”

Carmilla chuckles softly, stopping when Laura glares at her.  “Cutie, you don’t need this stupid five-year plan. You’ve done so much in that time.  Just coz it was not what you originally wanted to do—”

“I  _ still _ want to do them,” Laura interrupts.

“Then we’ll do them?” Carmilla replies, confused.

 

Laura stands up, visibly agitated.  “We  _ can’t _ !”

Carmilla sighs.  “Why not?”

“Because you’re a fugitive!” Laura blurts out.  “We can’t go anywhere in public together!”

This shuts Carmilla up as she clenches her jaw.

Laura grabs the pile of cards, flipping through them frantically.

 

“How are we supposed to go to Wizard Con?  Vacation in Ugaru Country? Road trip to see a live show?  Party it up in Magic Con? How are we supposed to do any of those things when the moment we go out everyone will see me with the monstrous Wicked Witch of the West?” she demands before realizing what she’s just said.

Carmilla scoffs, offended with hurt in her eyes.  “‘ _ Monstrous _ .’”

“Wait.  No. Th-That’s not what I meant,” Laura says softly.  “I… I didn’t mean  _ I _ think you’re a monster.”

Carmilla stands, arms crossed.  “Just that all of Oz does. And the bit that doesn’t, just wants to hurt you.  Right?”

Laura swallows hard.  “N-No.” She shakes her head.  “I just meant I want to spend more time with you doing fun things instead of being stuck here.”

“You mean, you don’t want to be stuck here with  _ just me _ .  Just the _ monstrous Wicked Witch of the West _ ,” Carmilla spits out, grabbing her broom, intent on flying out to her little island.  “If you want more, Laura, then I can be out of your hair whenever you want. That way you can find someone who can give you the future you  _ wanted _ .”  She grits her teeth.  “Sorry.  _ Still _ want.”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Laura mumbles, her eyes welling up.

Carmilla spins, nostrils flaring.  “Then what the hell  _ are _ you saying?”

Laura picks up her bag and shakes her head silently, tears rolling down her cheeks.

 

She makes it out the door before pausing.

“I’m saying I wanted a better future _with_ _you_.”

Laura leaves after that, leaving a confused Carmilla behind.

* * *

“…I mean, talk emotional whiplash,” Carmilla grumbles as she offers Mattie a glass of wine, which she happily takes.  “We went from her packing for this idiotic ball, to talking about her stupid five-year plan that she made back at Shiz, to her calling me a monster, to her just leaving!”  Carmilla throws her hands into the air in exasperation. “ _ Early _ !  She wasn’t supposed to leave until tomorrow morning for the damned thing.”

Mattie silently sips the wine, staring into the glass as if she could shrink herself and dive right in.

“Mattie… you’re awfully quiet,” Carmilla observes suspiciously.  “Spill.”

“The wine?” Mattie asks innocently.  “Why would you want me to spill your wine all over your nice rug?”

Carmilla narrows her eyes in a glare.  “Mattie…”

 

Mattie rolls her eyes, swirling her glass with a sigh.  “What has the little nugget told you since my last visit about the attacks she’s faced?”

Carmilla furrows her eyebrows together.  “Nothing, actually.”

“Shocking,” Mattie comments dryly.

“What has she not told me?” Carmilla asks, worry creeping into her voice.

 

Mattie puts the glass down, looking Carmilla in the eyes. “I told you about the attempted poisoning that left her in a coma.  And you saw what happened with the whole shard-throwing incident. But every year during the Birthday Bash the Wizard makes her hold, there are protests waiting for her outside.  The first couple years it was nothing crazy… but as the myth of the Wicked Witch grew more frenzied and you’ve actually gained supporters from those that see the Wizard as oppressive…”

Carmilla swallows hard, her eyes wide with concern.

“The third year we tried moving where she gets dropped off, but angry Animals still found her and left with her a few bruises.  Last year, someone came at her with a knife and slashed her in the ribs. Both times, we patched her up quickly and she went out onto the dance floor so none of the guests would know and panic.”

 

Carmilla runs a hand through her hair.

“But that’s not even the worst part.  At least, not to  _ her _ ,” Mattie continues.  “She always says she can handle the attacks on her.  She understands their anger towards her and what she represents.”

“Then what’s the worst part?” Carmilla asks, imagining the worst.

Mattie takes a deep breath.  “It’s the actual party. Having to mingle with people who laud her for standing up against the horrible Wicked Witch of the West.  Being forced to listen to what a terror and freak you are and how many different ways people want to kill you.” She shrugs. “She hates not being able to say anything and defend you.  That she has to endure it all with a smile on her face and that she has to do it…”

“…alone,” Carmilla realizes.  “She hates being alone.”

 

Mattie nods.  “She keeps insisting that she went into this hoping you two would be a team and she knows it can’t be easy on you hiding out here alone for days or even weeks, so that’s why she won’t tell you.”  She laughs dryly. “Carm, that little annoying speck doesn’t think you’re a monster, and she sure as hell doesn’t have a problem spending time with you. She cares about you.” She gives a small shrug.  “…And more importantly, she cares about me.”

Carmilla laughs.

Mattie pats her leg affectionately.  “So don’t let her slip away.”

Carmilla stands, mind made up.

“Where are you going?” Mattie asks.

“To go spend some time with Laura,” she replies, a glint in her eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Two chapters at once>>


	18. Miss Wicked Carmilla

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla surprises Laura for her birthday. Laura comes up with a plan to help more Animals.

“Bright side?” Laura says as Danny dabs at her bloody lip with a cloth.  “No knives this year.”

Danny rolls her eyes.  “Really, Hollis? There’s not enough pink lipstick in the world that can cover this mess, even if I get it to stop bleeding.”

“There’s always this shade,” Mel replies from across the room, walking over with a deep red lipstick in hand.  “Show them a little wild side of Laura the Lovely.”

Laura nods.  “Whatever works.”

Danny sighs, motioning for a servant to hand her Laura’s dress.  She winces. “Are you sure you wanna put this belt from Mattie back on over what’s probably at least a few cracked ribs after tonight’s attack?”

“We don’t really have a choice,” Laura says, pointing at the healing cuts on her face.  “Otherwise a bloody lip is the least of my problems.”

 

“Damned Animals,” Mel curses.

Laura shakes her head.  “Mel. What did I say about that kind of talk?”

Mel rolls her eyes and sighs.  “I don’t understand how you could still want to help them after all they’ve done to you over the years.  I would’ve just shot them all with arrows by now.”

“They’re scared,” Laura replies gently.  “And they don’t know where to direct their fear.”

“Well, I’d like to direct my cross bow at them,” Mel grumbles.

Laura laughs softly before sucking in a pained breath and clutching her side.

“No more jokes about violence,” Danny scolds.

“Who’s joking?” Mel asks.

Danny rolls her eyes, uncapping the lipstick.  “We gotta get Laura out there before the guests figure out something’s up.”

Mel huffs.  “ _ Fine _ .”

 

Half an hour later, Laura is making her way around the Ozdust ballroom, mingling with her guests.  The belt is placed loosely around her white dress.

She’s vaguely grateful the Wizard talked her into a masquerade theme this year, so the mask is helping hide a black eye that started forming.   _ Too bad Carm’s belt was only enchanted to hide wounds sustained before the spell _ .

 

“…And I heard she turned this hardworking woodcutter into a tin man!” one woman is saying to her, dramatically placing a hand on her own chest.  “What kind of freakish monster would do such a soulless thing?” She clicks her tongue. “I mean… Look at her! She's wicked! And no one mourns the wicked.  I can’t wait until you and the Wizard’s guards have her captured and drawn and quartered”

Laura, with an insincere polite smile plastered on her face, shrugs.  “That sounds a little inhumane and messy, no?”

“Just what she deserves,” a man standing next to them declares.

“You know what Laura the Lovely deserves?” a woman in a black dress and mask asks as she approaches.  “Not having such awful violent images presented to her on her birthday.” She chuckles dryly. “After all, doesn’t that make you  _ as _ bad-- if not, worse—than the Wicked Witch?”

The first woman scoffs, offended, and drags the man away as they both grumble a “Happy Birthday” to Laura.

 

“Sorry.  Looked like you needed them to go away,” the other woman comments.

“For PR reasons I can’t say whether I did.  But… I did.” Laura chuckles softly, something feeling very familiar about this other woman making it come easily.  “Do I know you?”

“Maybe,” the woman replies coyly, winking through her mask.

A new song starts playing and the woman grins, holding out a hand.

“May I have this dance?”

Laura eyes it carefully.

“How else will you find out if you know me,” the woman asks flirtatiously, “if you don’t trust your instincts, close your eyes, and leap?”

Laura’s eyes widen and her mouth hangs open.  “…Carm?”

If she squints beyond the mask, the woman has all of Carmilla’s facial features—without the green skin.

 

Carmilla laughs, taking a shocked Laura’s hand and kissing it.  “‘Wait. Is this okay with you? Consent is important, y’know,’” she says, repeating what Laura said several years ago.

Laura beams at her and takes her hand.  “Of course. But what ever should I call you,  _ stranger _ ?”

Carmilla gently tugs her towards her.  “Call me ‘yours,’” she whispers into Laura’s ear as she tightens her embrace around her waist.

She feels Laura stiffen in her arms and at first thinks her flirtatious comment caused it.  But that doesn’t feel quite right. Carmilla steps away, eyebrows furrowed.

“Laura?  Are you hurt?”

 

Laura averts her gaze and Carmilla gently puts her finger under Laura’s chin before slowly tilting her head up so their eyes meet.

“Another attack?” Carmilla asks softly.  “Mattie told me.”

Laura sighs and nods, gesturing for them to step away from the dance floor.

They head up onto the balcony where, years before, they had that conversation where they decided to work together, as a team.  Little did they know how much that would be put to the test.

 

Once they make it outside, Carmilla checks the urge to wrap herself protectively around Laura.  “What happened?”

“I thought since I took an earlier train here I’d be fine but when I got off the train a group of Animals who’d just gotten arrested for simply protesting at the Wizard’s castle were being herded onto a transport.  They saw me and broke free and attacked me,” Laura says.

Carmilla swallows hard.  “How bad?"

 

“Danny thinks there’s a few broken ribs,” Laura replies quietly.

Carmilla’s hand instinctively clenches into a fist and she slams her hand on the balcony railing, making Laura jump and wince.

“Sorry,” Carmilla mutters, eyes sad and apologetic.

“It’s fine,” Laura says.  “Your belt just kinda rubbed against it the wrong way.”

Carmilla frowns.  “I can’t believe you’re still wearing the belt.”

“Well, yeah.  If I didn’t…” Laura gestures at her face.  “There’d be a lotta more questions.”

 

Carmilla focuses on Laura’s face.  “Since when do you wear red lipstick?”

Laura laughs sheepishly.  “Since it apparently covers bleeding split lips well?”

Carmilla looks away from her, visibly upset.

“Hey,” Laura says gently.  “It’s fine. We can still make out or whatever.  Just be careful where you bite my lip.”

Carmilla lets out a sobbing laugh.  “Should I be offended you think that’s my primary concern?”

Laura offers a warm smile.  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure after I left if you even still wanted to kiss me.”

Carmilla looks at her, confused.

“I swear, Carm, I never meant to call you a monster or a freak.  Or imply that I don’t enjoy spending time with you,” Laura replies.  “I need you to believe that.”

 

“I do,” Carmilla says immediately.  She lets out a long, calming exhale.  “After you left, Mattie dropped by, not realizing you’d left already.  She said she had a gift for us but since you weren’t there, she just hung around with me.”

Her eyes slowly drift back to Laura’s face, and she reaches out and lightly strokes it.

“She told me about the attacks on your birthday and how, through it all, you were only upset coz you were out here hearing everyone’s comments by yourself.  That we’d dreamed this up as a team and you didn’t like leaving me alone, either.”

“Mattie’s quite the softie, isn’t she?” Laura chuckles.

Carmilla nods.  “Don’t let her catch you saying that, though.  She’ll beat you to death with a broom.” She grins mischievously.  “Speaking of a broom--”

 

“Miss Hollis,” a voice greets, making both of their blood run cold.

“Mrs. Morgan,” Laura replies, recovering as quickly as possible.

The Wizard laughs.  “Nice to see you remember my request to never let the public know who I really am.”  She glances over at the masked Carmilla with curiosity. “Do I know you?”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “No, I don’t believe you do,” she replies, adopting a British accent.

If the Wizard doesn’t believe this, she shows no signs of it.  She simply hums in response.

 

“How was your trip here from seeing your parents?”

Laura’s polite smile has returned to her face.  “Smooth.”

“Ah, good.  Glad your father is spending time with your mother.  They must’ve been so lonely all these years apart,” the Wizard says.

Laura’s smile falters slightly for a second, only perceptible to Carmilla.  “Well, you know what they say. True love transcends time and space.”

“Hmm.  If only that were true,” the Wizard replies with an unreadable expression.

 

She pauses for a moment, before taking a deep breath and clasping her hands together.  “Anyway. May I speak to the birthday girl alone?”

Carmilla nods.  “Of course.”

She steps out of the balcony, but smiles when she can continue to hear the conversation with perfect clarity.  Laura had turned on her device for Carmilla to be able to listen in.

 

“ _ …I don’t know if you heard, but there were some beastly Animals attacking the Castle earlier, _ ” the Wizard is saying.

Laura swallows hard.  “‘Attacking?’ Not… protesting?”

“Of course not, dear.  You know how they are. A mob mentality, violence first.  Wouldn’t know law and order if it smacked them on the behind on the way out of society.”  A cruel smile appears on her face. “Which is where they’re headed. Out. Of. Society. Where they belong.”

Carmilla watches as Laura’s jaw clenches but shows no other signs of distress.

“Where is that, exactly?” Laura manages to ask with an even voice.

“An experimentation lab I just had built,” the Wizard replies vaguely.  “No need to worry about such things, Laura the Lovely.” She laughs, but it’s devoid of any actual humor.  “Just focus on your birthday celebration. I was just keeping you informed because I will need you to do some damage control.  Give a speech in a few days saying that these are dangerous, unstable things that the public need to be aware of.”

 

“Are they?”

The Wizard blinks.  “‘Are they,’ what?”

“Are they  _ dangerous _ ?” Laura clarifies.

The Wizard cackles in her face.  “Heavens, no. But it’s easier to find wherever they escaped to if we have a bunch of frightened Ozians on the lookout.”  When she realizes Laura isn’t on board with this mentality, she changes gears. “I know you have had your differences with William and Mr. Straka.  Would you rather they and their thuggish army scour Emerald City looking for these problematic Animals, or the citizens?”

Laura clears her throat.  “I’ll work with Mattie to start drafting a speech.”

“Good.  Make sure to fit in something about how if we let them get away, that puts a win in the Wicked Witch’s column.”  The Wizard pats Laura on the arm. “Happy Birthday.”

Laura’s polite smile returns and she nods, watching as she walks back into the ballroom.  She pauses and stops in front of Carmilla.

 

“Nice to meet you…?”

Carmilla coughs, caught off-guard.  “Uhm. Mircalla.” She laughs nervously as Laura approaches them.  “Mircalla… Steak…nirn.”

The Wizard stares at her before chuckling.  “Mircalla Steaknirn. What an odd name. Where are you from?”

“C…Canada,” Carmilla replies, fiddling with her necklace.

“Never heard of it,” the Wizard replies, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Oh, it’s a great place in the far part of the Kingdom of Ix.  So great it sounds made up,” Carmilla replies, watching as Laura tries to hide a snort.  “Steaknirn is a very common name there.”

The Wizard nods with an unreadable expression.  “Hmm. Well. Nice meeting you, Mircalla Steaknirn from Canada.”

She extends a hand and Carmilla awkwardly shakes it.  The Wizard leaves and, when she’s out of earshot, Carmilla lets out a sigh of relief.

 

“‘Mircalla Steaknirn?’” Laura laughs.

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “Kirsch used to have us scramble our names for fun when we gave attendance in class if we had a substitute teacher.  He  _ loved _ using Kilson Wirsch and never understood how teachers figured out who he was so quickly.”

Laura giggles.

Carmilla squints into the ballroom.  “Where is he, anyway? Not that I was gonna reveal myself to him.  But isn’t he a bigwig governor, now? Shouldn’t he be here?”

 

“Ah, he, uh… Gracefully declined the invitation.  Sent Danny to apologize.”

Carmilla scoffs, getting visibly upset.  “Okay, I know he’s an idiot, but he was never--”  She sputters. “He was never a  _ coward _ .”

“He’s not!” Laura insists.  “He didn’t come coz he knew his entourage would come with him and he didn’t wanna risk them going at me again.  He did it to keep me safe.” She smiles. “He even sent me a whole bunch of presents to make up for it and to apologize.”

 

Laura chuckles when Carmilla lets out a resigned but satisfied huff, patting her gently on the arm.  “Wanna get away for a bit? I just gotta be back in a couple hours for a little fake magic show Mattie rigged up for me to perform.”

Carmilla lights up at this suggestion, a smirk forming.  “Actually, that was what I was gonna say before we were so rudely interrupted.  I flew here on my broom and brought yours. I’ve already cast a projection spell to fly around Winkie Country.”

Laura beams at her.  “You are amazing, Mircalla Steaknirn.”

 

Carmilla laughs as she gestures for them to make their way back inside.  They quickly weave through the crowd and sneak out through a side exit. Carmilla takes Laura behind a tree and grins when the two brooms are right where she left them.

Both look generic, an idea Carmilla had come up with a couple years ago in case they ever needed to sneak a broom in somewhere for Carmilla to ride on.

 

Soon enough, they take to the skies.

 

“I, uhm, will gently request we don’t do any fancy maneuvers or dips into bodies of water this time,” Laura says as they soar beyond the castle lands.  “My ribs are barely hanging on as it is.”

Carmilla brings the brooms to a gradual stop and she turns on hers to face Laura. “Wait, is this too much for you?  We can go back.”

Laura shakes her head, smiling sweetly.  “No, no. Although being back in the Ozdust ballroom again, alone with you on the balcony—which looks great when they patched it up after our last visit there...”  She reaches forward and takes Carmilla’s hand in hers, giving it a squeeze.  “It was nice. Kinda like that grand ball we never got coz we, uhm, never graduated.  Or stayed past our first year.”

Carmilla swallows hard and slowly brings their brooms down to the roof of an abandoned guard watch tower.

 

“I know your yelling yesterday stemmed from not wanting to go to another Birthday Bash alone,” Carmilla says as they land.  She carefully helps Laura off her broom. “But I still think we should talk about your five-year plan.”

Laura chuckles.  “Carm, it was silly.   I’m sorry about before.”  She shrugs sheepishly. “I’ve been so focused on chasing after your life because it seemed a lot easier than trying to fix my own. ”

They sit down at the edge of the roof, letting their feet dangle off

“But it’s  _ ours _ ,” Carmilla replies.  “You said it. We’re a team.  Whatever you’re chasing, it’s for us to share.”  She gently boops Laura on the nose.  “And all those things we want?  Every single point on your five-year plan?  We’re gonna do them, okay?”

Laura’s eyes well up and she lets out a sobbed laugh.  “Okay.”

 

Without thinking, Laura takes her mask off to wipe the tears away.  Carmilla’s eyes widen.

“Laura!  Y-You…”

Laura pauses, realizing what Carmilla’s gaping at.

“Uhm…”  Laura laughs sheepishly.  “I assume me telling it was a botched smokey eye makeup job isn’t too believable, huh?”

Carmilla narrows her eyes, unamused.

“Okay, but I swear it looks worse than it feels,” Laura adds weakly.  “For now. It’ll probably swell up when I go to bed tonight.”

“How come I have a suspicion you’re speaking from experience?” Carmilla asks gently, frowning.

 

When Laura doesn’t answer and Carmilla presses a soft peck on the top of her head.  Laura closes her eyes and hums contentedly, and Carmilla gives her a light kiss on her eyelid, smiling when she giggles.

“So, what’s this present Mattie had for us?” Laura asks, resting her head on Carmilla’s shoulder and intertwining their fingers.

“You’re looking at it,” Carmilla replies.  She holds up her new bracelet, which has a small cat charm.

Laura pulls away.  “Her present was to de-greenify you?”

“Ah, temporarily.  The enchantment should last through the night or so before it has to, uhm, recharge.  It’s a bit of a work in progress and she wasn’t even sure I should test it out like this, but I wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Laura laughs, playfully nudging her.  “I’m glad you didn’t.”

 

“So am I.”  Carmilla grins.  “And I have an idea for what we should do with our first public outing as a couple.”

“Oh?”

Carmilla nods, her grin widening as she points down at a very faint outline of a group hiding in the trees beneath them.  “I’m gonna guess you want to go save the Animals on the lam.”

Laura’s face lights up.  “Carm!  _ Yes _ !”

 

* * *

 

“Laura,  _ no. _ ”

Laura rolls her eyes as Carmilla continues to glare at her.

“I’m not doing this by myself.”

“You’re not,” Laura insists as she puts her mask back on.  “I’m gonna be right there with you.”

Carmilla crosses her arms.  “You’re gonna be the  _ diversion _ .  That’s not ‘right there’ with me.”

Laura huffs, pulling out her communication device and holding it up.  “I’m gonna be right there with you, in your ear. Okay?” She gently pats Carmilla’s arm before removing the kitten charm from her wrist, watching as Carmilla’s skin turns green again.  “This is gonna work.”

Carmilla doesn’t look convinced, but doesn’t stop Laura as she gives her a peck on the cheek and steps off her broom, walking into the distance towards the ballroom.  When Laura is no longer in her line of sight, Carmilla takes a deep breath and heads for the small group camped out in the sparse gathering of trees, clearing her throat as she descends near them.

 

They all turn to her, eyes wide.

“Holy moly!  It’s the Wicked Witch of the West!” a Lion exclaims.

“Wow. You guys really don’t know how to be stealthy at all, huh?”  Carmilla crosses her arms. “No wonder you guys got caught.”

A Bear rolls her eyes.  “We got arrested for protesting.  We’re not in the habit of trying to be subtle.”

“Right.  Well, unless you wanna get arrested  _ again _ , I suggest you learn how,” Carmilla snaps.

“ _ Be nice _ ,” Laura’s voice says through the device.  “ _ They’re probably scared. _ ”

 

“Look, do you guys wanna escape past the guards, or not?” Carmilla sighs, pointing at the guard tower holding them at bay.  “I don’t have all night.”

The Lion narrows his eyes in a glare.  “I figured you’d be nicer to your followers.”

Carmilla laughs ruefully.  “I didn’t  _ ask _ for followers.  So whatever fake messiah you think you’re supporting—”

“You’re not fake,” a Zebra interrupts.  “You’re standing before us, ready to save us.  You really do care about us.”

“You know who also cares?” Carmilla demands.  “Laura Hollis. Who you all attacked earlier.”

The entire group looks at each other in confusion.

 

“Laura the  _ Lovely _ ?” the Bear spits out.  “But sh… she’s part of the regime oppressing us.  Oppressing you, too.”

Carmilla inhales deeply.  “No, she’s not.”

“ _ What _ ?  She’s been leading the hunt for you for years!   _ She’s _ the monster and disgrace!” the Zebra yells.

“We should melt  _ her _ ,” the Lion growls.  “Melt her with fire.”

A Wolf turns to Carmilla, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.  “Maybe  _ she’s  _ not the real Wicked Witch.  The real Wicked Witch would never defend that overly-saccharine ball of lies.”

There’s more confusion that grows audibly and Carmilla can feel herself feeling overwhelmed.

 

“ _ Cupcake to grumpy cat, _ ” a voice says in her ear.  “ _ Carm, take a deep breath.  You got this. I believe in you _ .   _ I’ve always believed in you, even when we were just bumbling roommates at Shiz.  You just gotta believe in yourself a fraction of how much I do. _ ”  There’s a pause.  “ _ We’re a team.  I’m right here with you, _ ” Laura says sweetly.

Carmilla swallows hard, listening to the voice in her ear and the knowledge that Laura is right—they were in this together.

 

She steels her nerves, hopping off her broom.  When she lands, she does her quick incantation—her trademark, go-to spell for the past five years.  The image that causes fear in so many, and has apparently inspired others. Including those before her now.

 

Their silence is deafening when they see Carmilla, the Wicked Witch of the West, standing before them, with a fireball in hand.

“Any more concerns about who I am?” Carmilla asks, her voice low and daring.

The crowd stares at her, in a sort of awed disbelief.

“Good.”  Carmilla snuffs out her fireball.  “I’ll address your other concerns later.  Assuming you guys are willing to follow me beyond the guard tower.”

There’s some mumbling amongst themselves before the Lion steps forward.  “We’re ready whenever you are.”

Carmilla nods.  She readjusts her device so Laura can hear her clearly.  “Laura, we’re good to go.”

“ _ Okey dokey artichokey. _ ”  A pause.  “ _ Oh, no, I didn’t mean… n-not coz you’re green… or, uhm.  I just. I meant… Oh no. _ ”

Carmilla laughs softly.  “Cutie, it’s fine. I get it.”

“ _ Love you, _ ” Laura squeaks out in embarrassment.

“Love you, too,” Carmilla replies with a chuckle.

 

Small footsteps approach her as a child tugs on the hem of her shirt.

“Uhm, Miss Wicked Witch?” a tiny bear cub asks.

Carmilla looks down.  “‘Carmilla’ is fine,” she says gently.

“Miss Wicked Carmilla?”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Yes?”

“My mommy says that even though people love Laura the Lovely and are scared of you, that we should love you and hate her.”  They blink at her, confused. “So how are you speaking to her and why are you calling her cute and saying you love her?”

Carmilla swallows hard, looking up at the group staring at her with a mixture of similar confusion.

 

“Okay, look.  I know… that the past five years is going to make this seem impossible.  But Laura Hollis-- Laura the Lovely-- has been lying for the past five years.  She and I were roommates at Shiz five years ago and I asked her to come with me when the Wizard of Oz invited me to visit her castle.”

There are shocked gasps in the crowd.

“We were investigating Animals who had gone missing, just to mysteriously turn up again, changed-- rabid, unable to be reasoned with.  Just to attack someone and have to be put down. And we found out the Wizard was behind it.” Carmilla laughs ruefully. “And she wanted me to help her.  When I refused, the Wizard sent her guards after us. Laura and I managed to get away and hide. We realized there was no way out without me becoming a fugitive.”

 

She has the Animals as captive listeners now-- no longer audibly reacting, but simply enthralled in this new tale.

“Laura and I had shared this dream of using my abilities and her drive to help people.  And I realized if we were  _ both _ fugitives, this dream would never come true.  So I asked her to stay behind. And she did.” Carmilla gives a sad smile.  “She told the others I flew off to the West, when in actuality, she’s been hiding me in one of her dad’s homes in the southeast for years.  And ever since then, she’s been doing her best to help people avoid wars, with my assistance and my powers.”

She makes sure she makes eye contact with every single Animal she can to drive this next point home.

“And she’s been helping  _ Animals _ , too.  If she comes across a group of you guys facing hate crimes that won’t stop at the power of her words, she secretly relocates them.  The Wizard doesn’t care as long as the people turn their anger towards me. As long as there’s some kind of chaos, she’s happy with Laura’s results.  We’ve just been trying to keep it from getting violent.”

 

This stuns everyone into silence.  Except for one person.

The little bear cub wrings their hands together.  “So… you and Laura are...”

“Partners.  Lovers. A team,” Carmilla replies.  “Right now, Laura is working on having the Wizard’s guards at the party send out word to those in the guard towers to come to the party to watch her magical birthday spectacular.  It won’t be for long, but that’ll be the window she’s creating for me to get you all of you guys past the guard towers. Then, you guys can go wherever you want to go. Or...”

The Zebra frowns.  “‘Or’...?”

“Laura and I have created a small community on her father’s land for the Animals that were facing serious hate crimes.  And for any other refugees. If you want to come there, that’s fine, too.”

 

The Lion clears his throat.  “And she’s okay with this? Laura?  Even after we… attacked her?”

“It was her idea,” Carmilla answers pointedly.  “I know the image Laura’s been stuck with the past five years hasn’t been great to those who are oppressed by the Wizard.  Just like the image I’ve been stuck with the past five years hasn’t been great to those who are enthralled by the Wizard. So if you guys can believe in me, I ask that you at least try and believe in her.  Just a fraction of how much I do.”

There are heavy footsteps and Carmilla’s eyes widen as she grabs her broom from the air.  She motions for everyone to crouch and remain still and silent. A few guards run into the tower nearby and emerge a few moments later with the guards in there.

 

“ _ Are you sure it’s safe for all of us to abandon our posts? _ ” a guard asks.

“ _ It’s Laura the Lovely’s birthday and she wants to reward all of us for our hard work, _ ” another replies.  “ _ It’ll be for less than an hour.  What’s the worst that can happen?  It’s not like we’re looking for anyone dangerous, anyway. _ ”

The Bear chuckles.  “They don’t even know to look for us?”

Carmilla shakes her head.  “Laura decided to keep that information from the public until after her birthday.  Y’know. To keep the good morale and festivities going,” she whispers with a wink.

 

When the guards are all out of earshot, Carmilla activates her device.  “We’re all clear, Laura.”

“ _ Great, _ ” Laura replies.  “ _ The next train is leaving soon, so hurry. _ ”

Carmilla gestures for everyone to follow her, bringing them all towards the train station out of Oz.

“Wait.  We don’t have any money,” the Lion points out.

Carmilla holds up a small sack.  “Laura the Lovely has quite the stash of rainy day money.”

By the time they get to the station, they can see a bunch of fireworks exploding in bright colors in the distance, illuminating the Ozdust ballroom.

 

The Animals start boarding the train, which is a smooth process since there are no guards here, either.  The Bears are the last ones on and the cub runs over to Carmilla, hugging her legs.

“I’ll see you soon, okay?” she asks gently.  Carmilla looks up at the mother. “You all remember the instructions on how to get there?”

She nods before ushering her child onto the train to speak to Carmilla alone.

“Are you going to see Laura the Lovely now?”

“Yes.”

The Bear looks sheepish, as do the adults standing on the train behind her.  “Can… Can you tell her we’re sorry? We… We feel awful about how badly we hurt her.  And now she’s just helping us of her own volition, expecting nothing in return.”

 

Carmilla stares at them intently.  “Tell her yourselves when she comes home.”  She crosses her arms. “And for what it’s worth, she’s a better person than you or I could ever hope to be.”

“We know,” the Lion says gently.  “And we hope to prove ourselves to be anywhere near worthy of her kindness.”

The Zebra chuckles quietly.  “Does she always have that effect on people?  Sees that they can be better than they are and make them want to be what she sees?”

Carmilla’s face softens.  “Yeah. She might not be able to perform magic, but I think that’s better than any spell.”

  
  


* * *

 

The fireworks continue to explode in a wonderful combination of colors and streams before Laura’s eyes.

“It was a great idea to invite all the guards,” Danny whispers to Laura as they stand on the roof of the ballroom.  There’s a small crowd on the balcony, while the rest stand in front. “Really great for morale.”

Laura smiles as she sees Carmilla walk to stand behind the crowd below, her charm bracelet back on her wrist.

“Thanks, Danny,” Laura says as she starts heading for the stairs back down.  “I’m gonna go mingle some more.”

“Always working hard, Hollis.  It’s what I’ve always admired about you,” Danny says, giving her a quick hug. “Happy Birthday!”

Laura giggles. “Thank you.  Give Kirsch my best.”

 

She makes her way to the crowd, gently touching Carmilla’s elbow to get her attention.

“Sorry, ma’am, you can’t be here,” Laura whispers, grinning at Carmilla’s confused look.  “There’s another viewing place I have in mind for you.”

Carmilla’s confusion fades away and she smirks.  “Oh?”

Laura nods.  “Got broom for two?”

“Dork,” Carmilla replies, rolling her eyes as Laura giggles and leads her back to the tree where Carmilla hid the brooms.

 

She lifts them up slowly, only slightly above some treetops so they’re still relatively hidden.

“I’m so proud of you, Carm,” Laura says as Carmilla brings their brooms next to each other and Laura leans her head on Carmilla’s shoulder.  “You did a great job inspiring those Animals.”

Carmilla chuckles and kisses the top of Laura’s head.  “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Well, duh, silly.  That’s what makes us a team.”

Carmilla looks down at Laura, watching the fireworks reflected in her eyes.  “The greatest team there ever was.”

 

Laura picks her head up and looks back at Carmilla with a smile before leaning in for a kiss.  Carmilla deepens it, taking care around Laura’s split lip and only pulling away at the next explosion of fireworks.

“Happy Birthday, Laura,” she says softly.  “Not bad for the first one of yours we’ve spent together, huh?”

Laura grins and gives her another peck on the lips.  “Not bad at all. Here’s to many more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. I finished writing the story. I finally forced myself to stop creating segments of the final chapter and make it all cohesive. Which means I can play around with the updating schedule more >:)  
> I was originally gonna put this one up on Monday, but I joined the company softball team and we have a game that night LOL. So I just gave you all both at once :D  
> Once again, thanks everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine)  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is currently planned for Friday ^-^  
> And, as always, stay awesome <3


	19. Silence is Golden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura and Mattie make an unsettling discovery. When they try to get a plan going and involve a reluctant Carmilla, they realize someone else has also set their own plans in motion-- with dire consequences.

Carmilla yawns and rubs her eyes, then confusedly rubs them again at the sight before her as she trudges into the kitchen.

“Morning, sleepyhead,” Mattie greets.

“Mattie?  Laura?” Carmilla frowns.  “What are you guys doing here?  I thought you were supposed to be meeting with the ambassadors from Noland.”

Laura is making breakfast and putting the cooked food onto plates.  “They sent a messenger postponing the trip. Something about the Mangaboos needing help in Boboland and that takes precedence.”

Carmilla hums in response.

“Oh, and we also got a letter from my dad sent here.  His purchase of more land surrounding this place went through, so we have more space for a decent amount of more refugees,” Laura adds.  “We probably should’ve asked for his help earlier.”

“We should send a reply asking him to reach out to whoever he had do that investigation after Betty went missing,” Mattie recommends.  “See if they have insight or any notes they can give us.”

Laura gives Carmilla a nod indicating that the plates are ready to be put out and Mattie seems all too eager to dig in.

 

After a few minutes of silent chewing, she and Laura share a look.

“ _ That _ can’t be good,” Carmilla sighs.  “Can I have my five more minutes now, before whatever is about to happen, happens?”

“Yeah screw that, I’m ripping the band-aid off,” Mattie says, nudging Laura.

Laura puts her fork down and takes a deep breath.  “Do you remember that first spell you did when we went to visit the Dean?”

“The one that gave those poor Monkeys wings, forcing them to attack Oz until the guards went out and put those innocent things down?” Carmilla clenches her jaw.  “Nope, not at all.”

“Right… well.  We were with the Dean as she was showing Vordenberg around and… i-in one of the tours, she included the dungeons under the castle.  Which is… apparently where she’s been keeping the flying Monkeys,” Laura says slowly.

Carmilla’s eyes wide and she drops her fork.  “Wait.  _ Wait _ .  They’re  _ alive _ ?”  Her mouth goes dry.  “Those things have been alive… in pain… for the past five years?  Being kept in a dungeon?”

 

Laura and Mattie share a look as a shadow comes over Carmilla’s features.

“Yes,” Mattie replies gently.  “Vordenberg and the Dean were raving about how great it was to cruelly punish these Animals like this.”

They let this news settle into Carmilla’s mind for a few moments before Laura continues slowly.

“We have a plan to save them,” Laura says carefully.  “But it requires all three of us.”

Carmilla doesn’t say anything, so Mattie pushes on.

 

“Laura will stand guard while I go in and free them.  I will bring them outside, where you will—”

“No.”

Mattie frowns.  “‘No,’ what?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath.  “No, I’m not coming with you to help you free them.”

Laura furrows her eyebrows together.  “Huh? Carm, what are you talking about?”  She scoffs. “We’re the reason they’re in there in the first place.”

“No,  _ I’m _ the reason they’re in there,” Carmilla states coldly.

Laura shakes her head.  “That’s not true. It’s not all on you.”

“Just because I helped one small group of people once doesn’t mean I’m ready to join Team Alpha for rescue missions.”  Carmilla looks intently into Laura’s eyes, unyielding.

 

Mattie clears her throat.  “Carm, I’m all for self-preservation as much as the next very-much alive person.  You know that. And hell, I’ve probably only made it this far being careful and by sticking my head in the sand.”  She sighs. “But watching the two of you work together is-- as much as I hate to admit it-- inspiring. Before you two came to Shiz, I’d become so resigned to the awful disparity between Animals and people.  You two showed me kindness I hadn’t seen in so long. And you’ve both inspired me to do something incredibly brave and even more stupid. So what is the problem here?”

Carmilla’s expression remains hard, unreadable for several seconds.  Finally, she stands up.

“You’re on your own.”

Carmilla walks out the front door and Laura frowns as they watch her soar away on her broom moments later, heading for her island.

 

“What the heck was that?” Laura asks, bewildered.

“We did ambush her,” Mattie sighs.  “How about we try this again but separately?”

Laura nods, worry on her face as she looks at the direction Carmilla flew off to.  “Wanna take first shift? I still need to practice the speech I’m giving to the nobles about sending some aid to the Mifkets.”

Mattie smirks.  “I have just the idea.”

 

* * *

 

Carmilla sighs as she circles the land a few more times on her broom.  It’s now early evening and she’s been doing this for a while after moping on her island all day, trying to wrap her head around just how messed up she is.  But she finally thinks she’s gotten it all straightened out and hopes that Laura and Mattie know her well enough to not have put any plans into motion yet.

She finally brings her broom back to the house, stepping in through the front door and frowning when it’s empty.

_ Or maybe they don’t _ .

 

“Laura?” she tries.  “Mattie?”

When there’s no answer, Carmilla sighs and walks over to where the abandoned breakfast plates remain.  She makes a face at the crusted over food, going to scrape it in the garbage can when there’s a ripple of energy in the air, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up.  Mattie’s magic pendant forms its usual crackle of energy in the room and she turns to greet Mattie.

Her eyes widen when it’s not Mattie who appears before her.

 

“Oh.  Carm. You’re back,” Laura says around a wince, putting down some large rolls of paper she has with her.

“Laura, your head,” Carmilla frets, grabbing a clean cloth and wetting it to dab at a stream of blood coming from a cut on her forehead.  “What the hell happened?”

Laura hesitates.  “Uhm, where do you now stand on this whole ‘rescue mission’ thing?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath.   _ Here goes _ .

 

“I… Look.  Rescuing the Animals on your birthday was one thing.  They were my supporters. Getting them to follow me wasn’t complicated.”  She shakes her head. “But these Monkeys? I ruined their lives. Made them freaks like me.  And then condemned them to years of living down there like beasts. How could they possibly forgive that?”

Laura’s face softens and she reaches out to stroke Carmilla’s face slowly.  “Carm. You are not a freak, okay? They’ll see that a-and even if they don’t right away, they will eventually.  You’re beautiful, inside and out. It’s why Mattie and I knew all you needed was some light coaxing.”

Laura bites her lip nervously.

“Which, uhm, brings us to what happened to my head.”

Carmilla frowns.  “Yeah, what happened?”

 

Laura looks unsure of how to say what she needs to tell Carmilla, so she decides to just blurt it out.  “They have Mattie.”

Carmilla’s eyes widen and she drops the cloth in shock.  “ _ What _ ?”

“W-We went back to our office in the castle so she could get some of those chocolates you like to make you more amenable.  I was going to practice my next speech. When we teleported in, the Dean and Will and a bunch of guards were waiting for us.  They asked where we’d been. Asked why we had the missing blueprints to the dungeons in that room.”

Laura pauses and she sniffles.

“Before I could do anything, Mattie admitted to helping you.  Said she’d had you hidden somewhere on the border between Hiland and Loland.  They took her by surprise and grabbed her and beat her and-and…” Her voice cracks.  “I mean, I tried to stop it. I told them to let her go and give her a chance to ex-explain… But they didn’t care.  Someone smacked me with a guard stick and knocked me out.”

Carmilla pulls Laura to her and wraps her in a tight embrace.

“I-I woke up and found Mattie’s ripped pendant on the ground,” Laura says tearfully in Carmilla’s arms.  “Ginger said right before they took her away, she summoned him to ‘bring me to someone who has the full picture.’  Apparently, the Dean and Will didn’t even know who he was so they left him alone. I went with him and, well, he brought me here.”

 

“What would Mattie mean by, I have the ‘full picture?’” Carmilla asks.

Laura pulls away, wiping her tears.  “I don’t kno--” Her eyes widen. “The picture. Carm. Your picture.”

Carmilla frowns.  “What picture?”

“Th-The magic picture you used to see and hear me at the Laura the Lovely celebration,” Laura explains excitedly.  “Could that be used to see Mattie?”

Carmilla grins.  “Yes. Yes, it can.”  She rushes to go get it from her work room and comes back with it, the picture already glowing in her hands.  A couple seconds pass and an image appears of Mattie, impatiently pacing in a dungeon cell, beaten and slightly bloody.

 

“It’s  _ about time _ ,” Mattie snaps in a hushed voice, clearly noticing she’s now being watched.  “Lemme guess. The _ peanut _ figured it out.”

Laura laughs softly.  “Yeah, the unconsciousness took a little bit longer to get over than either of us would’ve liked.”

Mattie crosses her arms.  “Well, I’ve been here long enough to realize the Dean simply got smarter with her experiments to make us think they stopped. She’s got dozens of Animals down here, waiting for transport. And she seems to have streamlined the process to make it more efficient.  That must be what all those facilities she’s been building are for.”

Carmilla and Laura stare at each other in shock.

 

Laura frowns.  “How did we miss this?”

“Because,” Carmilla realizes, “we stopped looking for missing Animals.  We’ve just been assuming that the ones going ‘missing’ are the ones we’re taking in.  What if Animals have been slipping through the cracks? And we missed it.”

“We’ve been too busy patting ourselves on the back for taking in refugees to keep an actual count,” Laura says, horrified.

 

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “We can lament later. Rescue now, please.  Before they get started on me.”

“Okay, okay,” Laura says, going to get some ice for her head.  “Let’s do the same plan we had before. Except this time, Carmilla drops me off.  We open that dungeon door from the outside. I’ll stay there and keep watch while she goes in so the both of you can free everyone.”

Mattie scowls.  “But that means Carm will have to learn the blueprints you and I have spent days looking over.”

“ _ Or _ I also have the blueprints on me and can guide Carmilla through via our communications devices,” Laura points out.

Mattie narrows her eyes before grinning.  “Laura Hollis, I don’t say this often, and especially to someone incapable of using magic, so… enjoy this. … _ I’m proud of you _ .”  She looks uncomfortable at paying a compliment, like she might actually vomit.  “I’m proud of both of you.”

 

Laura beams at her.

Before she can reply, Mattie’s cell door clicks open.

Her eyes widen and she waves her hand, and suddenly the view of her fades away in the picture.

 

Carmilla clenches her jaw.  “We need to go. Now.”

 

* * *

 

“I’m sensing the Animals’ life force getting stronger,” Carmilla says.

“ _ Good. So now you’re gonna go straight past two intersections and then make a left, _ ” Laura says.  “ _ That should lead you to the Animal cells.  Then we free the Winged Monkeys.” _ There’s sounds of blueprints flipping. _  “Hopefully we figure out where they have Mattie because that’s not on these. _ ”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “Gotcha.”

Sure enough, she stumbles across a bunch of cells, filled with animals.  They see her and perk up, slamming themselves into the bars in excitement.

“Shh!   _ Shh _ ,” Carmilla says, looking around frantically.

And that’s when she realizes it.

 

None of them are speaking.

 

“ _ Cupcake to Grumpy Cat.  Did you find them? _ ”

Carmilla freezes at the sight before her.

 

The Lions are growling.

The Zebras are yipping.

The Lambs are bleating.

The Bears are snarling.  

There’s also a small cage of Crabs and Chickens.

 

All have reverted back into their primal selves, without the ability to reason.

 

“ _ Carm _ ?”

 

“Cupcake… There’s like a dozen of them.  All unable to speak. They’re all just…” Carmilla swallows hard.  “They’re so scared and confused.”

There’s a soft intake of breath.  “ _ Yeah, I, uh…  I know. That’s what Betty looked like when she came back to me. _ ”

“I’m so sorry,” Carmilla says in a horrified whisper.  “This is awful.”

 

There’s a scuffle on the other end.

“ _ Grumpy Cat, I’ve got company over here.  Might want to speed things u-- _ ”

Laura’s frantic voice cuts out and Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Cupcake? Cupcake??”

When there’s no reply, she jumps into action.

“ _ Peta babkama luruba anaku. _ ”  Several locks click open at once and all the Animals crowd around her.

 

“I don’t know how much you all understand right now,” Carmilla says softly, motioning for them to be quiet.  “But if we all wanna get out of here, I need you all to be quiet. Okay?”

None of them nod, but none of them make a sound, either.

“Okay.  I guess...”  She gestures for the group to follow her, deciding to just trust her ability to sense out the other life forces instead of focusing on the fact that Laura is still silent on her end.

 

After a few turns, she finds another few cages, and one lone cage in the corner.

The Winged Monkeys.  And Mattie.

 

Carmilla runs up to the bars.  “Mattie!”

Mattie glances up at her, eyes sad.  Then she looks back down at the ground.

“Mattie?”  Carmilla realizes what happened and shakes her head sadly.  “No.  _ No _ .”

Tears form.

“No, not you, too.”

There’s a sad bleat from Mattie.

 

Choking back a sob, Carmilla wipes at her wet cheeks.

“ _ Peta babkama luruba anaku, _ ” she sobs.

 

The cages open and Mattie steps out, still not making eye contact.  Carmilla turns to face the Winged Monkeys. She clears her throat awkwardly.

 

“Look, I don’t know… how many of you remember me.  But yes, I’m the one who gave you these wings. And… I swear, I didn’t know you were all down here.  I’m here to get you out so you can live safely with other Animals. And I really hope you can all forgive me--”

One of the Winged Monkeys steps forward, and she cuts herself off.  Carmilla swallows hard when she realizes it’s the same red-headed Monkey that Will had dragged out in front of her, years ago.  The first one she turned.

She readies herself for their ire.

Instead, it closes the gap between them and awkwardly pats her reassuringly on the arm.

Carmilla looks down at her arm in confusion.  “Y-You’re not mad at me?”

All the Winged Monkeys shake their heads at her.

“Oh.”  Carmilla chuckles softly.  “Well, then.” She takes a deep breath.  “Let’s get out of here.”

 

Trying her best to stay calm and trace back her steps to go out the way she came in, she tries not to stupidly and carelessly rush two dozen Animals through the tunnels.  The journey takes longer than she likes, but she gets everyone out safely, holding at the doorway.

With no Laura in sight.

 

The blueprints are scattered about and Carmilla feels her mouth go dry.

“Stay here,” Carmilla whispers.  She peeks around the corner and only barely catches a glimpse of movement down the path, heavy boots thudding into the distance.  She rushes after it as quickly and quietly as possible, following them around a turn. Her blood runs cold at the sight.

 

About a half dozen palace guards have Laura surrounded and are beating her with their sticks.  She’s in a crumpled ball on the ground, groaning.

Some of the guards have scrapes and cuts, so clearly Laura had tried to give as good as she got.

 

“Hey!” Carmilla barks.  “Pick on someone your own size.”

The guards are quick to turn, but not quick enough.

She rattles off her spell several times and lobs small fireballs at them.  It’s only enough to slightly scorch their armor, but still makes them recoil in fear and get away from Laura.

Two linger behind and Laura takes the opportunity to sweep their legs out from under them, causing them to crash into each other and land, the wind knocked out of them.

 

The rest of the palace guards charge at Carmilla, who takes a few steps back to brace herself as she slowly raises one hand.

“ _ Ahben Takayah Entayah Ah Entayah Tifentah Ahben Tahkay Ah! _ ”

Three guards lift off the ground, and Carmilla clasps her hands together and brings them up, leading all the guards to smash into each other mid-air.  She keeps her hands raised and then swipes them down, pulling down the guards down to knock out the ones on the ground.

Carmilla rushes over to Laura, who’s bloodied and bruised, trying to pick herself up.

 

“I should kill them for this,” Carmilla growls, slinging one of Laura’s arms over her shoulder to get her to her feet.

Laura winces.  “I’m good. I’m fine.”  She lets out a wheeze. “I wasn’t convinced I needed all my bones anyway.”

Carmilla rolls her eyes. “Ya killin’ me, Hollis.”

 

“ _ My, my.  I’d say I was disappointed, but… _ ”

Laura and Carmilla turn to face the voice behind them.

“When a little bird told me they had a suspicion that Laura the Lovely was in cahoots with the Wicked Witch of the West, well…”  The Dean shrugs. “Actually, I wasn’t too surprised. You were a suitable means to an end as Laura the Lovely. But I  _ was _ surprised you had managed to sway Matska.”

“Was it Will?” Carmilla sneers.

The Dean snickers.  “You really think this bonehead is capable of figuring something like that out?  Please.”

Will crosses his arms.

“But he’s more than good to order the muscle around,” the Dean adds smugly.  “Mr. Luce, if you will.”

 

He grins.  “Light ‘em up, boys.  Except you, Theo. I have a special present for you.”

 

As a curious Theo hangs behind, his fellow guards whip out long poles and, with some flicks of some switches, they begin to glow and crackle.

“That’s called electricity,” the Dean explains when Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Imagine that feeling when someone rubs their feet on carpeting and then touches you.  Then magnify that.”

“I’ve seen them test this out, Carm,” Laura whispers.  “There’s no way we can take them all.”

Carmilla slowly removes Laura’s arm.  “I’m sure as hell gonna try. They’re not touching you again.”

 

There’s a cacophony of growls as a group rushes pours into the pathway behind them.

The Lions, Zebras, Lambs, Bears, and even the Crabs and Chickens charge in, taking the guards by surprise.

The Winged Monkeys let out screeching howls, diving down from the skies and helping out.

“Whoa,” Laura breathes out.

 

Someone taps her on the back and she turns.  “Mattie!”

She tackles her in a hug.  “Did they hurt you?”

Mattie swallows hard but doesn’t reply.

Laura frowns.  “Mattie?”

“Cutie…  They… W-We were…”  Carmilla stammers. “We were too late.  They took her speech.”

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “No. What?” She shakes her head in shock.  “No.”

Mattie nods sadly before something catches her attention.

Carmilla and Laura turn around and find that most of the guards have been knocked out and the Animals are quickly retreating.  The Dean, Will, and Theo look furious at this turn of events.

 

“Let’s go,” Carmilla says to Mattie, who doesn’t need to be told twice as Carmilla takes her by the hand.

Laura straggles behind and that’s when she sees it out of the corner of her eye.  It’s just a glimpse, and she doesn’t even know what it is, but the way it’s being held is all she needs to know that it’s a weapon.

 

Theo is holding a gun, pointed at Carmilla’s back.  He pulls the trigger.

 

“ _ NO! _ ”

Laura dives forward, knocking Carmilla out of the way as a loud shot echoes through the area.  Carmilla flinches from the sound and turns, confused when she sees Laura on the ground, a deep gash across her abdomen.

“Laura?”  Carmilla drops down to her side and frowns at a small stream of blood forming.

 

Laura groans.  “I’m okay. I’m okay.”

Mattie tugs frantically on Carmilla’s shoulder, and Carmilla tears her eyes away from Laura to see Theo retraining his weapon on her.  She stands her ground.

“This  _ was _ a great gift,” he says to Will gleefully.

There’s a quiet rumble throughout the area and Will frowns down at the ground.  “Dude, let’s go,” he says to Theo.

“Nah, I’m gonna finish the job,” Theo sneers.  “Take down that overgrown artichoke once and for all.  Right after I put down that brainless ball of sunshine and make her watch.”

Carmilla clenches her fists.

 

There’s more rumbling and the ground begins to shake.

“No, man.  Let’s go,” Will says, already leaving as the rumbling gets more intense.

The Dean is making a hasty exit, as well.  “Mr. Straka, we’re going. I suggest you do, too.”

A loud BOOM reverberates through the air, and suddenly a large chunk of the tower looming above them cracks off and crashes down towards them.

Carmilla, Laura, and Mattie manage to roll to safety and cough as clouds of dirt and dust blow up.

“ _ Dammit, _ ” Theo’s voice growls from across the large pile of rubble separating him from them.  “ _ I’m gonna shoot you dead and maim you like the good-for-nothing beast you are. _ ”

Laura lets out a sigh of relief as his footsteps retreat away.  “I’m not being mean if I say he hasn’t aged well, right?”

Carmilla huffs out a laugh.  “Laura the Lovely’s not so lovely after all.”

 

* * *

 

“Thank goodness my dad bought that extra land through some friends,” Laura says, wincing as one of the Winged Monkeys cleans her wounds.  A Lion is handing them freshly wettened cloths. “I might actually ask him to buy more.”

There’s a  _ whoosh _ outside and he steps in through the front door.

“Whoa,” Laura breathes out.  “How’d you do that? I was just talking about you.”

Papa Hollis looks as glum as he can in his flashy heels as he stands there, arms crossed.  “What the heck happened?”

Laura and Carmilla share a guilty look.  “Uhm…”

 

“Did you two really just break a bunch of dangerous criminals out of the Wizard’s dungeon?”

“Do they  _ look _ dangerous?” Laura asks as the Lion frets at some water that dripped on the floor and starts mopping it up with one of the used cloths, only for some blood to end up smeared instead.  She sits in defeat until the Winged Monkey hands her an unused cloth and she smiles at them gratefully.

Papa Hollis sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose.  “I don’t think you understand the severity of the situation.”  He sits down across from her. “Laura, you’re being labeled a traitorous accomplice to the Wicked Witch.  The guards came for me to detain me so I asked if I could switch to a better pair of shoes and that’s how I got away.”

Carmilla slowly looks down to his silver heels.  “I’m sure they have even more questions than answers, now.”

Papa Hollis narrows his eyes at her.

“Look, there’s no way anyone’s gonna buy into this.  Everyone loves Laura,” Carmilla points out.

He laughs ruefully.  “You’d be surprised what people who are afraid can believe.”

“And anyone who vocally supports me is just gonna be detained, too,” Laura realizes.  She stands. “I have to turn myself in.”

 

Before Sherman can speak up, Carmilla shakes her head immediately.  “Laura,  _ no. _ ”  She stands up.  “That’s what she  _ wants _ .  If she had a suspicion about us working together for who knows how long, she probably made sure you and Mattie saw those dungeons to set this trap, knowing we’d be seen together so she could do this to you.  If you go, it’ll play right into her hands.”

Laura frowns.  “I can’t let people get hurt because of me.  I won’t.”

“You won’t.   _ We _ won’t,” Carmilla promises.  “We just have to first see if we even have to actively find a way to discredit the Wizard.  If anyone even believes her accusations towards you. And we can’t do that if the Wizard has you locked up, or worse,” Carmilla says desperately.

Laura looks into Carmilla’s eyes and realizes there is no way she is winning this fight.

 

“Gonna have to agree with Carmilla here, kiddo,” her father adds softly.  “We do have some allies right now, because of the things you two have been doing.  We just have to find a way to bring it all together. That can’t be done if we don’t have you.”

Laura looks from her father, to Carmilla, then around the room.  Even Mattie, the Winged Monkey, and the Lion seem to be pleading with her to stay.

She takes a deep breath as she looks back at Carmilla.

“Fine.”  She nods.  “We’ll work around this, just like we always do.”

 

Carmilla smiles.  “Together.”

“Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone still reading <3  
> Feel free to drop a comment below! And you can always hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's also up on on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update should be Friday.  
> As always-- Stay awesome :D


	20. Epiphany

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla finds a stressed Laura and offers some advice and a new mission to focus on while they work on collecting allies against the Dean.

Carmilla walks past the Animals who have apparently decided to camp out  _ in _ the house instead of out in the small community with the others.  Mattie was understandable, but the odd red-maned lion and Winged Monkey were another story.  Carmilla had even given the two of them extra Powder of Life to grow their homes as incentive to leave, but the Winged Monkey had simply stock-piled it and was testing it out on random things they found around.

Even Sherman was out there, introducing the Animals that had been experimented on to the others still capable of speech and reason.

She walks into the work room, where Laura is toiling away.

“I feel like we need to talk to those two about boundaries,” Carmilla huffs.  “Next thing you know, they’ll be barging into our bedroom without knocking.”

 

Laura doesn’t look up from her book and Carmilla frowns, walking over.  “Hello? Grumpy cat to cupcake.”

Still no response.

Carmilla mutters a quick enchantment and the book slams closed, then reopens to the same page—just long enough to get Laura’s attention.

“Criminy, Carm,  _ what _ ?” Laura snaps.

Carmilla pouts.  “Laura, are you okay?”

Laura groans and drops her head onto the book with a  _ thud _ .

Carmilla carefully nudges her.  “Lauuuura?”

 

“I can’t think of any way for us to totally prove that the Wizard is a fraud,” she mumbles against the book before looking up, tears in her eyes.  “Everything we have is circumstantial. Even if we get the Animals speaking again, no one else will believe them. And the Wizard’s got her guards out there right now, looking for us.  Even if they never find us, and even if no one speaks out in support of me, they’ll still go after the people they know I’m affiliated with, like they did with my dad. Who else could be on their list?”

Carmilla stares at the rambling mess, unsure of what to say.

“It just all feels so hopeless and-and--”

Laura gets up with a sob and Carmilla steps towards her, arms open if Laura wants to accept them, which she does.  Laura buries her face in Carmilla’s shoulder and cries while Carmilla rubs soothing circles on her back.

 

“Laura, Laura,” Carmilla says gently, still holding onto her as she blubbers.

“Carm, I-I th…think we’re making a mistake,” Laura says between hiccupping sobs.  “I think we’re getting people hurt and killed and I need to turn myself in.”

Carmilla’s eyes widen as she pulls away.

“We are  _ not _ turning you in to the Dean, okay?  Alright? Just stop all of this before I get queasy.”  She looks down at her arm and gasps, making Laura look down at it in worry, too.  “See? Look, I’m even actually turning green from the queasiness.”

Laura narrows her eyes in a glare.  “Not funny, Carm.”

Carmilla smirks as Laura’s crying stopped.  She sighs and cups Laura’s face in her hands.  “Cupcake, you are ridiculous, and headstrong and naïve, and this whole Locasta-Tattypoo gig is doomed, okay?  But unless you’re going around kidnapping Animals for their life force for some mysterious project, nothing that’s happening right now is your fault.”

 

Laura lets out a long sigh and nods slowly.  “I guess. I-It’s just… I’ve had this dream of helping people, right?  Of saving Oz from being divided through hate crimes and fear. And in order for me to get that dream, we had to paint you as a monstrous lone wolf.  And that split the people into either supporting you or supporting me, which is still a division.” She huffs. “Even outside of that—we never actually solved any of the hate crime problems.  I mean, I gave speeches and facilitated meetings to try and get to the root of things, but it’s… It’s like we slapped a band-aid on the division  _ and _ on all that.  Coz when I failed, we just moved the Animals elsewhere and… and we didn’t even realize some were still going missing  _ anyway _ .”

She quietly settles back in her seat, slumping forward in defeat.

“It just feels like the last five years have been for nothing and I’ve just made everything worse with my  _ dream _ .”  A sigh.  “With my stupid five year plan.”

 

“It’s not stupid,” Carmilla says gently.  She sits down beside Laura on the workbench.  “Sure. Right now, it seems stupid and pointless and hopeless, like all the hard work we’ve done was for nothing, that the quashed rebellions or lives saved amount to an ineffective endeavor against the Dean, and will probably continue to be that way--”

“--If this is your cheering up speech, it needs work,” Laura interrupts with a sniffle, making them both chuckle.

“The point  _ is _ , if nothing means anything, then the only thing that means  _ something _ is what we make. You know?  If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... then all that matters is what we do. Coz that's all there is. What we do. Now. Today.

 

Laura looks at Carmilla with a bit of skepticism.

“I mean, look at me.   I used to use hopelessness as an excuse for never having goals, never having dreams.  Until this… prissy little overachiever that I was… totally planning on ignoring the entire time I was stuck at Shiz… told me I deserved to have my own dreams, too.  Because she thought we  _ all _ deserved better.  Even me.”

Carmilla laughs softly as she gazes into Laura’s eyes.  “And, yeah. Our entire plan was flawed. We’re struggling.  And uncertain. But it has always been so…  _ beautiful _ the way you try. All you wanna do is help. You wanna help because you don't think people should suffer as they do. And I think it’s because even if it  _ is _ stupid and pointless and hopeless, if there is no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world.”

 

Laura blinks at her and lets out a sobbing chuckle before leaning forward for a sloppy but deep kiss.

She pulls away and laughs again.  “Now  _ that _ is a cheering up speech.”  She gives her another peck on the lips.  “Damn, I shoulda had you write the Laura the Lovely speeches for me.”

Carmilla grins.  “Learned from the best.”

 

Laura lets out a shaky breath before her eyes light up.  “M-Maybe we’ve been going about this all wrong.”

Carmilla cocks her head to the side, intrigued.

“We’ve been trying to get definitive proof about the Dean, right?  W-We’re trying to find reports and more eyewitness accounts and evidence and…  But… But what if we don’t need that?”

Laura gets up and starts pacing and Carmilla watches her, amused but interested.

 

“The Dean’s power and position is based on the beliefs of the people.  They  _ believe _ she’s the Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  They believe she can do magic. They believe she’s fair and just.”  She chuckles ruefully. “But she’s not. And all we need is for people to take their belief in her and put it in us.”

Laura turns with a beaming smile.

“Your supporters are already not believing in her.  We just have to see if whatever followers I have can do the same!  It’s just like my dad said-- for the past five years, people have been slowly loving Laura the Lovely more and more with the rebellions being stopped.  And the Wizard has been making less and less good PR moves since letting me spearhead this Wicked Witch hunt. Before this whole ‘going on the lam’ thing, I was definitely growing to be more popular and well-liked than the Wizard of Oz.”

She takes a deep breath, her mind going a mile a minute.

“Okay.  Okay. So we start reaching out to people.  People who are high up so the Dean wouldn’t have snatched them up yet, who we know we can trust.”  She looks at Carmilla, her brain finally coming to a screeching halt. “People like Kirsch.”

 

Laura stares at Carmilla, apprehensive.

Carmilla looks at her in confusion before realizing Laura is waiting for her consent.  “Oh. Yeah, that’s fine with me.”

“Really?” Laura seems surprised.

“Really,” Carmilla nods.  “I know we kept it from him to keep him safe, but…  I mean, no matter what, now he’s probably not safe. The Dean and Will probably know he never believed I was Wicked.  And on top of that they know he’s had a soft spot for you, too. So we might as well tell him  _ why _ he’s in danger.”  She sighs. “He’s probably my biggest supporter and he’s got the ears of a lot of yours.  It’s the smartest move and the best one we’ve got.”

Laura gives her a small smile and pat on the arm.  “Well, right now he’s in the Vegetable Kingdom on a diplomatic mission.  He was scheduled to be back in a few days, but I think...”

“...He’s gonna extend his stay a bit when he finds out he can walk on air there?” Carmilla finishes with a smirk.

Laura giggles.  “Definitely.”

 

“Okay.  So I’ll have my dad teleport to Kirsch’s house and leave a note with instructions on how to contact us when he gets back.  I’m thinking we have him talk to someone even Will won’t detain even if he knew of their connection to me,” Laura says slowly.

Carmilla quirks an eyebrow.  “Who?”

“J.P.”  Laura takes a deep breath when Carmilla looks skeptical.  “He’s also remained mad at me for ‘turning’ on you but I don’t think he’s bothered telling Will this.  He should be safe to use as our go-between.”

“Sounds good to me,” Carmilla says slowly, sitting on the bench and gently tugging Laura onto her lap.

Laura leans into Carmilla’s embrace.  “Then I’ll also ask my dad to teleport over to Shiz and just tell J.P. to be expecting Kirsch and to send word here.”

Carmilla hums in response as Laura intertwines their fingers together.

 

“So we’re putting our trust in the twin brother of the guy leading the hunt for us, and in  _ my _ brother... who once held a funeral for a sandwich he dropped on the floor.”

“Well, you know, little kids will be little kids,” Laura replies weakly.

Carmilla narrows her eyes.  “This was a week before he proposed to SJ.”

Laura chuckles at that.  “You know what I’m gonna say.”

“Yeah, yeah.  It's time to trust our instincts.  Close our eyes and leap.” Carmilla huffs a laugh.  “The irony that Kirsch is currently literally defying gravity isn’t lost on me, either.” She boops Laura’s nose.  “Now, since I know you’re gonna definitely be going stir-crazy while waiting for Kirsch to come back, I do have another idea for a project you could work on in the meantime.”

Laura’s eyes light up.  “You do?”

 

Carmilla nods with a grin.  “We’ve got a bunch of Animals who were missing and have been found.  Except they’ve lost their ability to speak.” She bunches up her face over-exaggeratedly in thought. “Now, who do we know who couldn’t shut up even if her life depended on it?”

Laura mocks offense.  “I dunno, Carm. Who?”  She hums in concentration.  “You?”

Carmilla laughs and playfully shoves Laura off her lap.  “Come on, Hollis. We have Mattie and a Lion and a Winged Monkey who refuse to leave our house.  Let’s start with them.”

“Okay.”  Laura takes Carmilla’s hand in hers as they leave the work room.  “But you take Mattie and I’ll take the other two. I tried getting her to say her own name earlier and she smacked me with a hoof.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I combined two monologues in this one. Points if you can figure out where the other half of Carmilla's cheering up speech is from ;)  
> ALSO it's a two-fer! >>


	21. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When two visitors drop by, everyone realizes just how far the Dean was willing to go for her mysterious project.

Carmilla cracks her eyes open and squints against the sunlight.  There’s an emptiness in the bed next to her and she has to concentrate to remember if Laura came to bed at all last night.

 

Laura had been working hard the past few days with her three students.

An hour after Carmilla gave her the idea, Laura came running over to her as Carmilla had been silently reading alone on the couch, Laura’s words flying out a mile a minute.  Carmilla had to stop herself from chuckling as she told Laura that as adorable as she was, she had to slow down so Carmilla could understand her.

“ _Th-The cub!  The cub that… This is her!  This is the cub!_ ”

“What _cub?  Who is what cub?_ ”

Laura huffed and went back across the room, dragging the Lion over with her.

 

“ _This is Perry. The Lion cub we saved in that forest all those years ago from Theo and his goons,_ ” Laura finally explained slowly.

Carmilla’s eyes widened.  The moment she looked at the twitchy Lion’s eyes, she realized Laura was right.  “ _Holy crap_.”

The Lion waved shyly and awkwardly.

“ _She drew a picture of a cage and a bunch of sticks,_ ” Laura explained.

 

“ _But how is this possible?_ ” Carmilla asked.  “ _She was just a regular lion when she was being observed at Shiz._ ”

Laura grinned.  “ _That’s why I’m so excited!  Carm, the Dean is all about experimenting.  What if she’s not only found a way to strip away speech and life force from an Animal… but also take it and give it to someone else?_ ”  She bounced in place.  “ _I know it’s a reach but it’s a possibility, isn’t it?_ ”

Carmilla smiled warmly at Laura.  “ _Y’know… Five years ago I would’ve said you were crazy for grasping at hope.  But you make me want to believe so… Sure. Why the hell not? Maybe she’s found a way to give their ability to speak back._ ”

Laura grinned smugly and leaned over to give her a kiss.  “ _I’m still going to keep teaching Perry and LaFontaine, though._ ”

Carmilla frowned.  “ _Who’s LaFontaine?”_

“ _The Winged Monkey_ ,” Laura replied.  “ _They were perusing your bookshelf and found some book that Mattie gave you.  A book of poems by Jean de La Fontaine. They kept tapping his last name so I asked them if that’s what they want to be called and they nodded._ ”

She glanced over as Perry wandered back over to LaFontaine and quietly slipped a napkin under their drink, which led to them laughing at her and giving her an affectionate punch on the arm.  Perry looked slightly shocked but then laughed, too.

“ _They seem to be getting along,_ ” Laura commented before glancing around.  “ _Where’s Mattie?”_

Carmilla shrugged.  “ _I asked if she wanted to try speaking and she sorta scoffed and walked away with some hip sway._ ”

Laura hummed and went back to working with LaFontaine and Perry, and that’s where she remained when Carmilla went to bed.

 

Although she did get the vague sense Laura had crawled into bed with her at some point last night.

 _Then where the hell is she now_?

 

Carmilla groggily steps into the kitchen, but there’s no Laura there, either.  As she heads through the living room, she hears the voices. Laura’s first.

“ _...will explain everything to you guys but, uhm, not right now.  I just need a moment to do something first--_ ”

“ _Look, we deserve to be told what’s going on,_ ” J.P.’s voice says from outside the house.  “ _You make us go through this whole song and dance to get in contact with each other and with you, and for what?  The Wizard’s already told everyone you’re wanted for the gruesome murder of a dozen Animals, so why should we hear you out?_ ”

The door opens and Laura steps through, eyes wide when she sees Carmilla.

 

Kirsch is the next to enter, and his eyes are even wider.

“Carm?  B-But D-bear told me you were seen flying around Munchkin Country last night!”

He lets out a surprised but bubbly chuckle as he runs at her, embracing her in a large and warm hug.

“Carm!” he says, his voice cracking.  “Oh dude, I have missed you so much!”

J.P. turns to Laura, confusion across his entire face.  “What is happening?”

 

* * *

 

“So. Five years ago, you and Carm found out that the Wizard was the one behind the missing Animals.  When she turned on you guys, you let Carm escape here and lied and told everyone she went to the West. Then you stayed behind and kept the lie going so Carm could stay free?” Kirsch asks from a chair beside J.P.

Laura nods, holding hands with Carmilla on the couch.

“But...”  Kirsch lets out a whimper.  “I’ve been so mean to you, bro.”

Laura laughs softly.  “Kirsch, you’ve been nothing but as sweet as you can be.”

He shakes his head, visibly upset.  “But my friends beat you up so many times.  And I didn’t speak to you for a while. An-And one time you offered me a sandwich at your Birthday Bash and I really wanted it but I told you I didn’t and I felt so bad after.”  He sniffles.

“Kirsch… did you feel bad coz you turned down a sandwich from me, or because you turned down a sandwich in general?”

He looks up, tears in his eyes as he looks genuinely unable to pick.

 

“Oh, you big lug,” Carmilla says, going over and giving him an affectionate punch on the shoulder.  “I’ve missed you.”

He gives her a sad smile.  “Why didn’t you guys tell me all this sooner?”

“We realized if we were gonna sell this until we bought time to figure out how to persuade the public that the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is less-than-Wonderful, we couldn’t tell anyone-- to keep it convincing,” Carmilla says.  “Mattie figured it out herself and Laura’s dad found out when he happened to stumble across me--” She smacks Kirsch, a little bit harder than the punch. “-- _after your idiot friends attacked her!_ ”

Kirsch looks sheepish.  “I know, I know! I felt awful.”

“Good.  You should’ve.”  Carmilla huffs. “I had half a mind to go over there and strangle you.”

He gives her a look and she blinks at him.

“What?”

“I’ve just really missed you, sis,” he says warmly.

She rolls her eyes.  “I’ve missed you, too,” she grumbles.

 

J.P. clears his throat awkwardly.  “Not that I’m not honored to be a part of this secret and exclusive inner circle, but… _Why_ are we being told now?”

“When you got here, you said the Wizard has accused me of killing Animals,” Laura says, gesturing for everyone to stand up and follow her.  She brings them to the balcony, which overlooks most of the Animal community. The Winged Monkeys have been instructed to only fly below the treetops, and a group of them glide around above a bustling small village.

Kirsch and J.P. take the view in, clearly in shocked surprise.

“You’ve been bringing them here to live in peace,” J.P. realizes.  “Away from hate crimes.” His eyes widen in realization. “Is this why you asked me about the Powder of Life all those years ago?  To build these homes quickly?”

 

Laura nods.  “It’s a bit of a band-aid solution, but until we can stop the Dean’s hold over Oz and her need to plummet us all into fear and chaos, it’s the best we can do.”  She and Carmilla share a look. “But our best isn’t enough. With our band-aid solution we still didn’t realize Animals were still going missing. And we can’t keep doing this by ourselves or let this continue. We need help.”

“ _Our_ help?” Kirsch asks.

Carmilla nods.  “We’re working on finding proof of what the Dean’s been doing, but right now we’re not sure it’ll even be enough to sway public opinion against the great and powerful Wonderful Wizard of Oz.  Especially when half the population wants to melt the Wicked Witch of the West and the other half thinks Laura the Lovely murdered a bunch of Animals.”

 

“To be fair, they’re being _told_ that Laura the Lovely murdered a bunch of Animals.  Nothing’s to say anyone’s believing it,” J.P. points out.  “I’ve even heard reports of a majority of the palace guards abandoning their posts—apparently Laura the Lovely inviting them all to her birthday bash left quite the good impression.  Vordenberg has been hiring anyone he can to be his hired muscle in some group called the Corvae. Other than that, the faculty and students at Shiz are beyond skeptical. I’ve warned them to keep their suspicions to themselves so as to avoid the ire of my brother and his guards.”

Carmilla grins at Laura.  “See? Told you no one would believe it.”

Laura chuckles.  “Okay, okay. So you just keep the students and faculty from believing the Dean’s lies.  We’re gonna need the future behind us.”

“And you?” Carmilla asks, looking at Kirsch.

 

He seems focused on some Bear and Lion cubs tossing a ball back and forth.

“Yo!  Brotein,” Carmilla snaps, and he jumps.

“Sorry,” he says sheepishly.  “What?”

Carmilla rolls her eyes.  “Are you with us?”

“OH!”  He grins widely.  “Yeah, duh.” Kirsch turns away from the balcony. “The munchkins still love Laura.  Probably more than they love me.” He shrugs. “I don’t think they ever really got over her dad retiring just for my crazy mom to take over.  And, anyway, the ones who think Laura is a tool of opossum, support Carm.”

“’Oppression.’  They think she’s a tool of _oppression_ ,” Carmilla corrects, rolling her eyes as Laura giggles.

She walks over to Kirsch and gives him a hug.  “Thanks, Kirsch. It means a lot to us.”

Carmilla nods when he looks over to her.

 

Laura gently pats his arm.  “Now all this being said… there was another reason I wanted to speak with you in private.”

Carmilla furrows her eyebrows in confusion.  “There was?”

Laura nods and motions for everyone to go back inside.  Carmilla and Kirsch sit next to each other on the couch, while Laura gets a stack of folders and papers.

 

“So… we asked my dad to reach out to his old friends, right?  Put some feelers out and see what sentiments are around Oz regarding us and the Wizard.”  Laura looks nervous. “Apparently he took it one step farther and really wanted to help more than that, so he also reconnected with the investigators he used for Betty’s case before I even considered it.”  She hands the them folders.

Carmilla and Kirsch flip through them for a bit, with Kirsch obviously having no idea what he’s looking at.  Carmilla’s eyebrows furrow further and further. “Laura… are these saying what I think they’re saying?”

Kirsch pouts.  “I’m confused. Why are SJ’s pictures in here?”

Laura sighs and sits down across from them.

 

“Kirsch… these investigators continued keeping a record of missing Animals across Oz.  They kept the open cases and narrowed the stack down to the ones who followed the pattern of same days missing as Betty, just to have been put down while attacking someone, regardless of the official circumstances.”  Laura swallows hard. “SJ meets these conditions. She went missing for the same amount of days, and when the investigators went to ask the family that was attacked while camping, they described her as rabid. Unable to listen to reason.”

Kirsch stares back down at the reports, eyes wide as they well up with tears.  “The Wizard kidnapped SJ? So she would be killed?” he asks, lower lip trembling.

Laura nods grimly.  “I’m so sorry.”

He sniffles and Carmilla slowly wraps an arm around him, leaning her head on his.

Kirsch pulls away and, for a moment, Carmilla looks hurt.  But it’s so he can look at her, a sad smile on his face.

 

“I told you it wasn’t your fault,” he says, his voice cracking.  “All that blame thrown on you, for nothing!” He tackles her in an awkward hug.

Carmilla chuckles softly and hugs him back.  “You never did any of the blaming, though.”

He shakes his head as he pulls away.  “Nah. I knew there was no way this was your fault.”  Kirsch wipes his eyes. “And… now. Now we finally know the truth.”  He gets up and walks over to Laura, wrapping his arms around her for another hug.  “Thank you so much, Laura.”

She pats his back.  “You’re welcome.”

 

He goes back to the couch and realizes Carmilla’s frown is still there.  “What’s the matter?”

“Something doesn’t add up,” she says slowly.  “Why would the Dean go after someone as high profile as the fiancée to Wilson Kirsch?  SJ was such a high-profile Animal. Surely there were other options?”

Kirsch shoots out of his seat, mouth open.  “Holy Pilsner. My parents. They were in on it.”

Laura and Carmilla share confused looks.  “Not following you there,” Laura says carefully as Kirsch begins to pace.

 

“After they died, I was cleaning out their study,” he says frantically.  “And I found this secret compartment in the desk. It had letters from my mom to the Wizard!  The older letters said at first that they were ‘on board with taking over after Governor Hollis loses a rigged election’ but weren’t ‘sure their son would stop being distracted with the Animal.’”

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Y-You think… You think that your parents and the Dean worked together to kill SJ so that not only would she get her life force… but it’d get her out of the way so the Kirsches would look better taking over for Governor Hollis?”  She sucks in a breath. “Damn, that’s cold, even for them.”

Kirsch nods, almost imperceptibly.  “The last letter to the Wizard was them saying the sacrifices weren’t worth it, that they would never live up to Governor Hollis in the munchkins’ eyes.  The munchkins may not have agreed with your dad’s politicking, but they sure do love the dude.”

Laura frowns.  “The Dean must’ve realized it was a losing situation.  Not only did she not have a puppet in place anymore, she didn’t even have someone who had the backing of the people.”

“But killing off a Governess and her husband?  That’s a bit extreme, no?” Carmilla asks.

Laura starts to reply when she looks over at J.P. and narrows her eyes suspiciously.  “You’ve been quiet.”

 

He takes a deep breath.  “I think Governor Kirsch is right in his conclusion.”

When they all give him expectant looks, he shifts uncomfortably.

“During one of my visits to Emerald City to update Will regarding Shiz, Mr. Straka suddenly barged in and told him that Governess Kirsch and her husband had just departed the city to return home, and that another carriage was ready to leave shortly, as well.  It was all kept in vague terms, and I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but…”

“You think that carriage was sent after Kirsch’s parents,” Laura surmises.

J.P. nods solemnly.  “He had off-handedly mentioned plans about heading to Munchkin Country in a couple days to see Kirsch, but at the time Kirsch was still at Shiz.  I brought it up and he changed the subject.”

Laura and Carmilla look over to Kirsch, who seems frozen on the spot.  “My bro Will was involved?” he asks, his voice small. “Your _actual_ bro?”

J.P. sighs.  “Governor Kirsch, on behalf of my brother’s egregious behavior, I apologi—”

Kirsch walks forward and pats him on the arm.  “You’re such a great dude. Thank you for being so cool and not, like, killing my parents.”

J.P. chuckles softly.  “You’re welcome, Governor Kirsch.”

 

Kirsch nods before addressing everyone in the room.  “The truth about the Wizard needs to come out, bros.”

Carmilla and Laura share a look and a smile.

“Let’s take her down,” Carmilla agrees.

Laura’s eyes light up in pride.  “Together.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The previous chapter was a bit short, so I decided to do two at once :)  
> Here's to finally bringing the gang together!  
> Once again, thanks to everyone who's been reading and commenting so far! Continue to feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine)  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is currently planned for Friday <3  
>  **—EDIT 5/25/2018– so the external hard drive I was keeping the entire fic on isn’t working and I’m working on fixing it so until I figure out if the files are even retrievable or not there won’t be any updates :( Sorry!**  
>  And, as always, stay awesome :D


	22. Animal House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura begins to feel the exhaustion from the growing number of guests wandering around the house, and Carmilla steps up to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it took so long to get this chapter up! I stupidly only kept the entire fic on a portable hard drive and the darn thing randomly broke the DAY I was going to upload it and I was trying to figure out if I should shell out the $400 to get it fixed when I realized I had been sending myself bits of SOME chapters I had written but the rest would have to be rewritten from scratch.  
> Unfortunately, this was one of those chapters.  
> Fortunately, I think this version was better than whatever I had.  
> Anyway, hope you all enjoy!

Carmilla yawns as she trudges into the living room, frowning when she hears Laura’s sickly cough from near the kitchen.

“Hey, why aren’t you still in bed?” Carmilla asks softly.

Laura hums contentedly as Carmilla embraces her from behind and gives her a kiss on the neck.  “LaFontaine woke me up and dragged me over to a book they were poring through to ask if we had ingredients.”  Carmilla starts to ask a question, but Laura cuts her off. “No, they didn’t actually ask. A lot of gesturing and grunting got the point across.”

Laura looks over at Mattie, who’s sitting on the couch, arms crossed with a scowl.

“Wanna try talking again?”

Mattie narrows her eyes in a glare and gets up with a huff, storming off.

Carmilla frowns.

“I’m gonna follow after her,” Laura says as she walks away.

Carmilla gently tugs her back by the arm.  “Just to check on her. Then go back to bed.  Please?”

Laura gives her a small smile.  “Okay.”

 

Carmilla lets Laura go and Laura darts out of the house in such a rush that she collides right into J.P.

“Oh!  Sorry!” Laura apologizes as he reaches out to steady her carefully, minding her injuries.

“Are you okay, Miss Hollis?” he asks.  “I heard you might be falling slightly ill.”

Laura nods.  “I’m fine. Or, uhm, I will be.  Have you seen Mattie?”

He points towards the section of the Animal community mostly consisting of the new arrivals—the ones experimented on, unable to speak.

“Of course that’s where she is,” she sighs, walking in that direction.  “Thanks!”

 

Laura makes it down the path from the house when she spots her father squinting as he walks along.

“Whatcha lookin’ for, dad?”

He looks up at her and then guiltily averts his gaze.  “Shouldn’t you be in bed? I hear you’re getting sick and y-you’re still recovering from getting hurt, y’know.”

Laura narrows her eyes at him.  “Dad…”

He laughs sheepishly.  “H-Have… you seen my shoes?”

“You’re wearing them?” Laura replies, confused.

“No, not these.  The, uhm… Th-The heels.”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “Dad!” She buries her face in her hands with a groan.  “You can’t just go around losing those!”

“I know!  I know,” he replies immediately.  “I’ll definitely find them. Maybe.  Probably.” He gulps. “…Hopefully.” Before she can scold him further, he runs past her.  “I’ll let you know if I find them!”

“‘ _ If?’ _ ” she squeaks.  She closes her eyes and takes a couple deep breaths.  “Let it go, Hollis. Let it go.”

 

Laura continues towards where J.P. had pointed, only to hear a loud crash.  Preparing for the worst, she rushes towards it.

But she isn’t prepared to see Kirsch pinned against the wall of a home, struggling for air as Mattie holds him in place.

“Hey!  What the heck?  Let him go!” Laura yells.

She snorts at her and, if anything, presses harder against Kirsch.

“I-It was a joke!” Kirsch whimpers.  “Just a dumb pun!”

Laura scowls.  “ _ What _ was?”

“I said… if she never talks again, would it be considered that cat goat her tongue?”

Mattie hisses at Kirsch and pushes her hoof farther, eliciting a cry of pain from him.

Laura rushes forward.  “Mattie,  _ stop _ !”

Mattie rears her elbow back to shove Laura away and, in her still-injured state, Laura loses her footing easily and trips, landing on the ground less than gracefully with a grunt.

 

“What the  _ hell _ ?!” Carmilla growls, running up to them and kneeling next to Laura.

Mattie lets Kirsch go with a glare at him before looking apologetically at Laura.

“Kirsch made a stupid joke that pissed off Mattie,” Laura explains.  “Which he should, y’know, say ‘sorry’ for.”

“I’m so, so sorry,” Kirsch says to Mattie without hesitation.  “It’s just, you looked sad, and I just wanted to make you laugh and help cheer you up… And-And, sometimes, my mouth isn’t connected to my brain.  So Danny says.”

Mattie crosses her arms and rolls her eyes before nodding, as if to accept his apology.

“Now, apologize to Kirsch for attacking him like that,” Laura says gently.

Mattie gives him a reluctant but apologetic sad look and he grins at her.  “It’s all good!” he says brightly.

 

“And now both of you apologize to Laura,” Carmilla snaps.

“Ah, it’s fine,” Laura says as Carmilla helps her up, giggling at the exasperated expression Carmilla gives her.  “I’m just happy no one got hur--”

 

There’s an explosion from inside the house and she and Carmilla stare at each other, bewildered.

They run back to find a gaping hole missing from the kitchen to the outside.  The entire wall has been blown outwards.

“So glad we let these Animals into the actual house so they could help us keep it on the down-low,” Carmilla comments dryly.

“Wh-What--”  Laura gapes at LaFontaine, who’s also being glared at by Perry.  “How…” Her eyes widen. “The baking soda and vinegar?”

They nod proudly.  Before Laura can even begin to process this, there’s a crash in the next room.

 

“What  _ now _ ?” she groans.

The group heads into the living room and are all varying levels of confused at the sight before them.

Two dangling legs are sticking through the ceiling—with Papa Hollis’s shoes.

 

“AH!  Where  _ am I _ ?” a voice yelps above them.

“Kirsch?” Carmilla squints up.  “What the…”

There’s a  _ CRACK _ and he comes plummeting down, bringing down a rain of plaster with him.

He sits on the couch, stunned.  “Whoa.”

“H-How the… How?” Laura sputters.

Her father comes running in, gaping up at the hole in the ceiling.

Kirsch rushes to take the shoes off.  “I dunno! I saw these shoes and thought, ‘Hey, these look like they’d fit me,’ so I came in and put them on and then the loud BOOM in the kitchen scared me and I said to myself, ‘I have to go to the bathroom’ and then BAM I was  _ in _ the bathroom floor.”

Before Laura can even begin to address this, J.P. runs in frantically.  “Miss Hollis, there is a hazard on the floor above us.”

“Yeah, yeah, the bathroom floor,” Laura huffs, pointing up.  “We noticed.”

 

“No, not that,” J.P. mumbles.  “Well, that, too, I suppose. But, uhm, Miss Belmonde was getting annoyed at this Lion cub that kept following her around and she tried chasing her away but overshot where she was running and crashed into the balcony railing upstairs.  She and the cub are uninjured, but… well, the railing came clean off.”

Mattie walks in slowly and hesitantly.

“So… you mean to tell me… not only did  _ you _ \--” Laura glares at LaFontaine, “blow a hole in the kitchen where my mom and I used to bake cookies on weekends… And  _ you-- _ ” a glare at Kirsch, “burst through the floor of the bathroom where she taught me how to braid hair… But now, the balcony that my mom and I built together from scratch when I was a kid is  _ gone _ ?”

Carmilla carefully walks towards Laura, who’s having a full-on meltdown.

 

“Can we all wait until I have  _ twenty minutes _ of sleep before literally dismantling more of my MEMORIES OF  _ MY MOM _ ?” Laura yells.

Carmilla steps forward all the way now and gently touches her elbow.  “Okay, okay, everyone else  _ out _ .”

When no one moves and everyone continues to stare at Laura in concern, the room begins to rumble a bit as Carmilla’s hands clench into fits at her side.

“GET OUT OF OUR HOME!” she booms.

Everyone immediately begins to scramble, including Papa Hollis, who audibly mumbles, “It’s  _ my _ home, though…”

 

When they’re finally alone after the others have scattered, Laura plops onto the rubble-covered couch with a groan.

“Shoulda done that days ago,” Carmilla grumbles as she sits down beside Laura and gives her a peck on the cheek.  Her eyes widen. “You’re burning up!”

“Actually, I think I’m cooling down,” Laura mumbles.  “Just needed that one blow-up and--”

“No, cupcake,” Carmilla says with a frown, resting her hand against Laura’s forehead.  “You’ve got a fever.”

Laura huffs.  “Oh.”

Carmilla gives her another light kiss on the forehead and leaves to go get a towel dampened with cold water, only to return to Laura had fallen asleep on the couch, quietly snoring as bits of plaster continue to crumble down onto her peaceful face.

Carmilla chuckles.  “Oh, cutie. What am I gonna do with you?”

 

* * *

 

Laura groans as her eyes crack open and she hears soft laughter from beside her.

“Sleep well?”

Snuggling further into her blanket, Laura yawns.  “Fiiiiive morrre miiiiinuttttes?” she imitates.

“Ha. Ha.”

 

Laura looks over and finds Carmilla sitting on a chair next to the bed she’s in.

“How’d I get into bed?” Laura asks, sitting and rubbing her eyes groggily.

“I made Kirsch carry you,” Carmilla replies, putting down the book she was reading.  “Idiot almost hit your head against the bedframe.”

Laura giggles.  “Well, I’ve been told I have a hard head.”

“Exactly what your dad told me,” Carmilla replies, booping Laura on the nose, making her laugh.  “By the way, you were lectured vicariously through me about not getting enough sleep. Since you, y’know, slept the whole day away.”

Laura pouts.  “Maaan. I was hoping to at least patch up  _ one _ of the holes before nighttime.”

Carmilla grins at her and holds out a hand to help her off the bed.  “I have a little surprise for you.”

 

She leads Laura out of the bedroom, towards the balcony.  Mattie is finishing up restoring the bannister with the Lion cub, while her parents watch on, lecturing her.  Mattie and the cub give Laura apologetic looks and Laura walks over with a smile, admiring their work.

“Just as good as it was before,” she comments brightly.  She gives the cub a wink. “Maybe even better?”

The mother Lion nudges her daughter.  “What do you have to say to Laura the Lovely?”

“Sorry,” she mumbles.  “I’m really sorry.”

Laura opens her arms and gives her a look seeking consent for a hug and the Lion cub steps into the embrace.

“It’s fine.  The whole point is, you made a mistake, and you helped fix it.  That just means you’re growing and learning, and that’s all anyone can ask of you,” Laura says, giving the girl a small squeeze before letting go.  “As long as that’s how you approach life, you’ll always be the best version of you, okay?”

 

The young cub nods and the parents give Laura grateful handshakes as Laura steps off the balcony to find a smitten Carmilla.

“What?” Laura asks with a giggle.

“Just… finally getting what made Oz fall in love with Laura the Lovely,” Carmilla replies.

“ _ Finally? _ ” Laura gasps overdramatically. “Slow on the uptake, much?”

Carmilla rolls her eyes, amused, and brings Laura downstairs, where Kirsch and her father are patching up the living room ceiling below the bathroom.

  
“Hey, honey,” Papa Hollis greets.  “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” Laura says.

Kirsch gives a guilty wave.  “Who knew I was so good at doing holes?”

Laura and Carmilla let out snorts and Laura pats him on the arm.  “Kirsch, never change.” She grins at him and her father. “Thank you guys for patching this up.”

“You can thank Carmilla,” Sherman replies.  “She really, uh, rallied the troops.”

Laura beams at Carmilla with a smug grin.  “Oh, did she, now?”

 

Carmilla crosses her arms with a sigh.  “Way to blow up my spot, Mr. Hollis.”

He raises an eyebrow at her.

“I mean, uh, Sherman.  S-Sir.”

He laughs warmly and points towards the kitchen.  “Just take her on the rest of your tour, Carm.”

Trying and failing to hide her blush, Carmilla grabs Laura’s hand and tugs her away, leaving a snickering Kirsch and Sherman behind.

 

“For someone who always acts too cool and unaffected, you sure do care,” Laura teases.

“I simply told them all that if they weren’t total soulless moochers, they’d stop taking advantage of your niceness and start pulling their weight around here.  I just liked being mean to them,” Carmilla insists, fooling no one.

Laura hums, unconvinced.

They enter the kitchen, where LaFontaine and a group of Bears and Zebras are fixing up the wall, with Perry doting on them and feeding them as incentive.  She’s also sweeping up plaster after them.

 

As Laura admires the work they’re all doing, she feels a tap on her shoulder.  Perry holds up a bowl of soup expectantly.

Laura laughs and walks with Perry to the table, sitting down with a grin.  Perry hands her a spoon and Laura digs in, moaning in appreciation. “Perry, this is really good!”

Perry beams at Laura and quickly brings another bowl over for Carmilla.

“About time you all started earning your keep around here,” Carmilla mumbles to all of them.

Laura elbows her lightly.  “Be nice.”

Carmilla chuckles and watches as Laura inhales her food and Perry promptly brings more over.

 

“Thank you for convincing everyone to help out, Carm,” Laura says warmly when she’s finally full.

“Well, we’re a team, aren’t we?”  Carmilla takes Laura’s hand and kisses it.  “The greatest team there ever was?”

Laura nods.  “Duh.”

 

She stands, holding onto Carmilla’s hand as she stands up, as well.  “Wanna come with me to get some fresh air?”

Carmilla smiles and gives her a peck on the lips.  “Of course.”

 

Soon enough, they’re on their brooms, with Carmilla taking the ride much more slowly and carefully this time.

"Ah, back to the Rock," Laura comments as it comes into sight.

Carmilla narrows her eyes in a playful glare and starts to reply, but Laura holds up her hands in surrender.

“Sorry, sorry.  _  Small rocky isolated strip of land _ .”  Laura clears her throat.  “That’s… totally surrounded by water on all sides…”

“Ah, shut up and get off the broom, cupcake,” Carmilla replies with over-exaggerated annoyance as she jumps off her broom onto the ground, helping Laura off hers.

 

Laura giggles and gives Carmilla a kiss on the cheek before they sit down and settle in.  She rests her head on Carmilla’s shoulder.

“You’re still warm,” Carmilla frets.

“Yeah, but I didn’t wanna go back to bed,” Laura mumbles.

Carmilla lets out a long sigh.  “Your dad is gonna kill me.”

“Nah,” Laura laughs.  “He’ll just give you a long huffy glare and stammer a bit in exasperation.”

“Now I know where you get it from,” Carmilla teases.

 

Laura pulls away and gives Carmilla a small smile.  “Thank you, Carm. Really. Thanks for today.”

“Like I said, we’re a team,” Carmilla replies.  “You shouldn’t have to feel like you’ve gotta take care of everyone all the time.”

Laura’s smile widens.  “You’re the axis that my world turns on.  You know that, right?”

Carmilla blushes shyly and averts her gaze.  “Hedging your bet on a villain as your axis sounds like a great recipe to spin out of control.”

 

“You’re a hero, Carmilla Karnstein,” Laura insists gently.

Carmilla laughs dryly.  “I’m nobody’s hero.”

Laura pauses with a pout.  “Have you ever considered that maybe ‘hero’ isn’t one thing that one person was supposed to be by themselves?” she asks sweetly but firmly.  “That maybe in this story, you’re my hero, and I’m your hero?” She takes Carmilla’s hand in hers. “That maybe it’s all of our responsibilities to be heroes for each other?”

Carmilla chuckles and intertwines their fingers.  “Ya killin’ me, Hollis.”

“I’m serious,” Laura says sincerely.  “If I didn’t have you, even back at Shiz, I would’ve been dragged down by the world.  You build me up. Always have.”

“You were plenty strong enough to do all of this when I met you,” Carmilla replies.

 

Laura looks at her, suddenly unsure and insecure.  “Carm. I decided to look into the whole Missing Animals case and all I did was be unable to apprehend the culprit, turn you into a fugitive, wind up working  _ for _ the culprit, turn  _ myself _ into a fugitive, put everyone we care about in danger, and not even stop more Animals from going missing.”

Carmilla frowns in concern at the spiraling mood.   “Hey.  You’re Laura Hollis.  I have watched you fight crazy frat boys and palace guards and… that lady who tried to cut us in line at the Wizard fair at Shiz.”  They both chuckle. “So… you’re gonna figure it out. Whatever happens next, we’re gonna do it together.”

“Together?”  Laura beams at her.

“Laura…  _ yes _ ,” Carmilla says sweetly.

 

Then she catches the mischievous glint in her eye.

“Laura,  _ no. _ ”

 

Carmilla barely gets the words out before Laura lunges at her, tackling her off the rock and into the water before following in after her.

Carmilla breaks through the surface, sputtering.  Laura’s laughter echoes into the night.

“You’re right, Carm.  We  _ did _ do it together!”

Carmilla growls playfully and splashes Laura in the face before both begin laughing.

They splash each other back and forth for a while, before gradually stopping and just staring at each other in the water.

 

“I love you,” Laura says.

Carmilla grins.  “I love you, too.”

 

From afar, Kirsch, Papa Hollis, J.P., LaFontaine, Perry, and Mattie watch on the newly-constructed balcony.

“They’re really quite the pair, aren’t they?” J.P. asks.

Kirsch nods proudly.  “I’m so glad they found each other.”

“I hope I don’t jinx it, but they have a real chance to take down the Wizard and bring out the Oz we all want,” Sherman adds.

The group continues watching the girls splashing each other in the water and laughing for a few moments.

 

J.P. finally clears his throat.  “Not to ruin the moment… but about that hole between the bathroom and the living room that’s not done being patched up yet…”

Kirsch’s eyes widen.  “Oh, man! If we take too long with that, Carm’s definitely gonna shake the whole house again!  This dude didn’t bring a helmet this visit!”

He runs back inside, and the others slowly trail after him, except for J.P.

 

“Aren’t you coming?” Papa Hollis asks.

He shakes his head.  “Don’t look at me, sir.  All due respect…  _ I _ didn’t break anything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are the absolute best <3  
> Feel free to drop a comment below! And you can always also hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). You can find the story on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update should be Friday (I promise).  
> As always-- Stay awesome ^-^


	23. Tunnel Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Carmilla and Laura bid farewell to some of their guests, Laura prepares to give Carmilla a fun birthday celebration together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO sorry for how late this update came! I know I promised friday but my stupid self left the edited chapter sitting on my work computer over the weekend and then last night I had a softball game soooo  
> Hope you enjoy!!

“…except SJ and I didn’t realize we were in  Carm’s room until she said, ‘hey, wait a minute, since when do you have leopard print sheets?’” Kirsch is recounting into the night. “And then  Carm walked in and saw us both naked, bro!  Naaaaakeddd . She got so mad the whole bed shook and I--”

“—AND that’s the end of that story,” Carmilla interrupts, shielding her face in horror as Laura laughs.

“ So you’re saying, that was the finish?” Laura asks, making Kirsch howl with laughter. He raises a hand for her to high-five, which she does with extra pep.

Carmilla c rosses her arms. “You’re not allowed to charm my mentor  and my brother, Hollis,” she grumbles.

 

Laura giggles. “Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. It’s a very well-known fact. That I... just made up. R-Right now.” Carmilla nods seriously.

“Oh, really?” Laura ask s as Carmilla continues nodding. “Yeah? You just make up all the rules now?” She hums and gives her a peck on the cheek. “How about now?”

Carmilla narrows her eyes at her in a playful glare. “Not  gonna work on me.”

Laura pouts and bats her eyelashes.  “Darn, five years and the magic is gone.”

Kirsch lets out a horrified gasp.

 

“We’re  kidding ,  brozo ,” Carmilla says exasperatedly. She pats Laura’s leg and gives her a gentle smile. “The magic is still very much here. I have been in love with no one, an d never shall, unless it should be with her.”

Laura gazes into  Carmilla’s eyes to appreciate the moment of open sincerity.

There’s a sniffle and they all turn to look at Kirsch, who is staring at them with wide eyes. “Seeing you two together is so beautif ul,” he blubbers. He gets up and wraps them both in a large hug.

Laura does her best to hug him back, while Carmilla gives him an awkward pat. He backs away, tears in his eyes.

 

J.P. clears his throat. “I,  uhm , apologize to be the bearer of  bad news , bu t… When I picked up Governor Kirsch, Ms. Lawrence asked for me to bring him back in time for his speech to his constituents regarding the Wicked Witch and Laura the Lovely. It’s tomorrow afternoon, so… we should really get going.”

Laura offers a polite sm ile when Kirsch visibly deflates. “We’ll do this more often one day, I promise.”

Kirsch walks over and gives her another hug. “Laura, dude, I am so sorry at every time I was mean to you the past five years. Thank you for loving my sister,” he says since rely. “Thank you so much.”

 

Laura gives him a small peck on the cheek. “Thank you for always looking out for her and for always being so sweet.”

He grins and walks over to Carmilla, who grumbles something about there being too much hugging, before he pulls her into another embrace. “Love you, sis.”

Her expression softens and she hugs him back. “Love you, too.” She narrows her eyes in a playful glare. “Don’t think seeing you the night before my birthday lets you off the hook for the past five years wit h no presents, though.”

He sighs. “Aw,  maaaan .”

Laura giggles and elbows Carmilla. “I’m sure he’s got them all stored away somewhere,” she says with a wink in his direction, which he grins at.

 

J.P. gives an awkward wave, but Laura gives him a hug, anywa y, which he smiles at.

“ So Governor Kirsch and I will return to our respective posts,” J.P. says as they head for the door. “I will hold a staff meeting and see which faculty members stand on what side regarding Laura the Lovely and the Wicked Witch of th e West. As well as speak to the student body, off the record.”

“I will talk to my calm sit  you inns and see the same,” Kirsch says with a big smile.

“ Constituents ,” Laura politely corrects with a giggle. “And we’re  gonna keep working with Perry, LaFontaine, and Mattie , and if we can reverse what she did to all these Animals. Like she did with Perry, but all the way. ”

Carmilla grins. “And then we’re  gonna take  the Dean down.”

 

* * *

 

“HAAAAAPPYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAY!” Lau ra screams when Carmilla groggily steps into the kitchen.

Carmilla flinches and groans. “ Ughhh no.”

“YEP!” Laura bounces in place in front of Carmilla, beaming at her. “Happy,  happyyyyy ,  haaaaapp \--”

Carmilla smirks and leans forward, shutting her up with a kiss.

Laura laughs through the kiss and pulls away. “-- ppyyyy birrrr \--”

Carmilla chuckles and shuts her up with another kiss.

“-- thhhday ,” Laura finishes.

 

Carmilla rolls her eyes, amused. “You’d better have a good reason for making me wake up this ea rly on  my  birthday.”

Laura nods eagerly and hands her a cup of fresh coffee. “Fuel up coz it’s  gonna be a long day.”

Carmilla raises an eyebrow as Laura runs out of the room but silently drinks as requested.

A few minutes go by before Laura returns, with  Mattie in tow.

“Your first birthday present,” Laura announces.

 

Mattie holds out a small box and slowly opens the lid. Inside is a bracelet with a charm  similar to the previous one she gave Carmilla before Laura’s Birthday Bash, but this one is a black pa nther, gleaming in the light.

“Mattie finished enchanting it right before…  th -the,  uhm , dungeons,” Laura stammers. “It makes the glamour last longer,” Laura explains. “It’s her birthday present to you. And w e figure it matches your necklace .”

 

Mattie smiles as she takes the bracelet out and hands it to Carmilla, who puts it on. A stream of lights swirl around her and in the blink of an eye, she stands before them, the green in her skin gone.

 

Carmilla smiles down at her hands before shyly re alizing Laura and Mattie are staring at her.

“Thank you, Mattie,” Carmilla says warmly, going for a hug and squeezing her tight. “Thank you so much.”

Mattie smiles and returns the hug.

Carmilla steps back and clears her throat. “I’m  gonna assume the longer run time and making me wake up early means you have plans for today?”

Laura grins and gives her a peck on the lips. “There’s a small Wizard Con festival in Perhaps City. The fair is today… Where the theme is masquerade.”

“Oh?” Carmilla asks, matching Laura’s grin as Laura brings out the masks from her birthday bash. She also has her Polaroid camera in hand.

“What do you say? Ready to take this new bracelet for a spin?”

 

* * *

 

“I feel like a peasant, carrying my broom around,” Carmilla grumbles.

Laura’s eyes widen beneath her mask. “ Carm , we’re around  actual peasants. Have some tact. And I don’t know this area well enough to know where it is or isn’t safe for us to leave them hidden.” She li ghtly whacks  Carmilla’s broom with her own. “Besides, we can be peasants together.”

Carmilla chuckles. “ Sweepin ’ me off my feet with the romanticism, Hollis.”

Laura rolls her eyes and starts walking towards the crowd when she realizes Carmilla isn’t besi de her. She heads back to the entrance, where Carmilla seems to be stuck.

 

“Ever been to a fair before?” Laura asks.

Carmilla shyly shakes her head and Laura quietly takes her hand, intertwining their fingers.

“Is there anything you would or would not lik e to do?” she asks sweetly.

Carmilla looks around, clearly overwhelmed by all the booths. Laura laughs softly. “We’ll go one booth at a time. If you see something you like, just stop us.”

“Okay.” Carmilla smiles at her.

 

They walk around for a bit, letti ng Carmilla get a feel for the atmosphere and the buzzing crowd.  Finally she pauses and Laura turns to see what caught her attention.

 

“You shoot the targets with a water pistol,” Laura says. “It makes your corresponding racer go forward and if you reach the end before the timer finishes, you get a prize.”

In this case, the toys are little Laura the Lovely figurines, riding on bubbles.

“ Wanna give it a try?” Laura asks as she pulls out some money to hand her.

Carmilla nods and Laura watches as Carmilla se ttles in at the bench. The first tries at the stream misses the target completely, but she and her fellow shooters quickly correct their aims and soon the race is off.

 

After a few seconds it becomes obvious  Carmilla’s isn’t going to make it and, sure enou gh, none of the figurines make it to the end.

 

Carmilla walks over with a pout.

“I think it’s rigged,” Laura says.

“Yeah,” Carmilla mumbles, deflated.

Suddenly, a thought occurs to Laura and she grins mischievously.

“What?”

“We’re a team, right,  Carm ?”

Car milla furrows her eyebrows together, confused. “Yeah?”

“I have an idea for how you can win… But you need to do something for me, too,” Laura says.

“Sure.”  Carmilla’s confused look fades as Laura whispers something in her ear.

 

“Why don’t we all try again?” Laura asks the crowd who had just gone with Carmilla. She puts down money for all of them with a wink.

The person working the booth narrows his eyes suspiciously, but returns all the figurines to their starting positions. Th e game starts and Laura stealthily sneaks away, returning after the run is over and once again all the figurines have not made it to the finish line.

She walks over and whispers something else in  Carmilla’s ear, and Carmilla nods.

 

“One more for everyone?” Laura says, putting more money down and staying put this time.

The worker seems to realize something must be up, so he peeks behind the booth. He returns, apparently having found nothing wrong and shrugs, restarting the game. This time, all the figurine s move faster and soon enough, make it to the end.

This gets the worker’s attention as he growls and goes behind the booth, returning. “How did you do that?” he demands from Laura.

“Do what?” Laura asks, blinking innocently.

He sputters angrily. “Y-You…  You…” He crosses his arms. “You cheated.”

“How?” Laura asks, trying to keep her smugness in check. “You checked before and after this race and I was here that whole time.”

“I’m not giving anyone here prizes,” he says.

 

This leads to a lot of grumbling f rom the customers, and the guy suddenly seems to realize he may have made a mistake. Laura gestures for him to go around the counter so they can have a private chat.

He walks over, scowling.

“Look,” Laura says in a hushed tone. “You and I both know that  the figurines were being held back by a mechanism that almost imperceptibly slowed them down. Now, either I tell everyone here that that’s what’s going on, or you give them their prizes.”

He mulls this over for a bit and then huffs. “Fine. But sweetie,  you’re  gonna have a hell of a day because-- guess what? Every game here is rigged. They always are.”

Laura’s eyes widen as a larger plan forms in her mind. One building off the fact that while he went to peek after Laura’s return, Carmilla magically altered the mechanism behind the booth so  everyone would have a fair chance to win.

 

Carmilla walks over with a small Laura the Lovely figurine in hand, smiling. “Good plan, creampuff.” She realizes Laura’s lost in her own mind. “Hello? Grumpy cat to cupca ke.”

“How would you like to win more prizes? While doing a little bit of mischief?” Laura asks, a glint in her eye.

Carmilla grins widely. “I’d say this is shaping up to be the best birthday ever.”

Laura takes a quick picture of the m with the figurine and once it develops, she carefully puts it in her bag.

 

And  so they head to the Whack-A-Mole station, where they figure out to scout out the booth’s inner workings before Laura puts down any money. Laura peeks under to see that the sensors are padded, so not every hit is counted.

As soon as the  previous  game run ends,  Carmilla does a quick enchantment and all the padding falls off. Carmilla allows Laura the honors and she gets a perfect score, to the dismay of the worker there.

Laura walks away with a nice Wizard of Oz porcelain  figure, which Laura promises they can sm ash to bits later.

 

They walk past the Dunk Tank, which has a  long line of people waiting to drop a crudely dressed Wicked Witch impersonator into a tank of cold water.

Laura starts to pull Carmilla past it, but Carmilla stops short and, with a quietly muttered spell, all the  water flies out of the tank upon the next dunking, soaking the entire crowd. The people grumpily but promptly disperse and the booth workers look b ewildered as Carmilla and Laura walk away, snickering.

 

Their next stop is the ring toss, where it takes observing a few games before Laura realizes the pegs have small ridges and tiny bumps to prevent the ring from landing properly. This time, Carmilla en chants the rings to be drawn to the pegs, but Laura advises to only do certain rings because a perfect score here would surely garner serious suspicion.

The enchantment lasts on the rings all day, and this booth owner is bewildered at the sudden hike in su ccess rate.

They both walk away with matching blank leather-bound books, decorated as if they were spell books.

 

Afterwards they go to the Test  Your Might, and Laura realizes that there is extra padding on the sensor for the striking meter , like with the Wh ack-A-Mole rigging. Carmilla simply enchants the meter marker to move more than it should.

A small girl standing nearby seems very intimidated to try and Laura quietly tells her to watch Carmilla go.

With a wink, Carmilla brings the mallet down, and the m arket shoots to the top. Laura gently tells the girl to go next and Carmilla hands her the mallet with a smile.

The girl still looks worried and asks if Laura and Carmilla will stand with her, which they do. 

 

When she brings the mallet down and wins a prize, she hugs both of them and goes off skipping to her mother. Laura can see Carmilla trying to hide how happy that girl’s glee made her but doesn’t comment on it.

 

With the bottle stand, Laura discovers there’s some light adhesive coating the bottom of t he bottles, so Carmilla simply enchants the balls with a greater mass, and the bottles with less mass.

Except this seems to overdo it and when she throws the first ball, all the bottles go  flying through the air and Laura shrieks as she dives out of the wa y to avoid being hit in the head with one.

Carmilla sheepishly picks out a fireball plush and hands it to her,  in spite of Laura’s insistence that she knows it was by accident.

 

After figuring this was more than enough loot and that they’d caused more than enough mischief for the day, Carmilla quickly flies all the presents back and returns to find Laura with a table in the food court.

Carmilla chuckles. “Well, it’s early evening, n ow. I’d say this was the most fun I’ve ever had on my birthday.”

Laura looks offended as she grabs more food and stuffs it into her mouth. “Excuse  me , Karnstein. We’ve still got one more thing to do.”

 

Carmilla lets out an exaggerated huff and a long si gh, making Laura laugh as she shovels more food into her mouth. She pushes a bunch of containers at Carmilla. “ Leffgo !  Eetup !!” she mumbles emphatically.

Laura basically crams food down  Carmilla’s throat and they start heading past the prize booths toward s the rides.

Carmilla starts to say she’s way too full to get on any of them. But instead of moseying past each one, Laura makes a beeline for one in particular—a closed ride. “Look at you, Laura Hollis. Breaking into a closed-down ride,” Carmilla chuck les.

Laura narrows her eyes in a playful glare. “Sorry to disappoint,  Carm . Still a useless rule-abiding creampuff.”

 

They walk up to the guard standing before the taped-off entrance. “It’s closed,” he says gruffly, crossing his arms.

Laura smiles. “30 7.”

He nods and steps aside, and Laura thanks him as she walks past. A confused Carmilla follows.

“I figure all this Laura the Lovely crap should pay off somehow,” Laura says smugly. “So other than using all the money I’ve gotten the past five years for fair prizes and an insane amount of food, I may have greased some palms.”

Carmilla stops short. “W hat is going on?”

Laura quietly takes her hand and gives her a peck on the cheek. “You’ll see.”

 

Carmilla seems satisfied to wait and they continue down the path until they reach a small heart-shaped boat anchored in the water. A Zebra stands near the controls. Laura jumps in first, giggling when Carmilla gets slightly splashed on the path. She extends a hand and helps her in as an apology, and the Zebra removes the anchor, giving them a wink as they begin to float downstream.

“So yesterday before J.P.  and Kirsch dropped by, I used my dad’s shoes to teleport over here while they were setting up the fair,” Laura begins, leaning her head on  Carmilla’s shoulder.

“Damn, how much earlier than me do you wake up?” Carmilla asks around a chuckle.

“Five years int o this relationship and you’re just asking this now?” Laura teases. “Those five minutes you keep asking for really add up,  y’know .”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Carmilla takes Laura’s hand and intertwines their fingers. “So, what? You paid off some workers to close the ride off and only open it to the two mysterious lovers with a password?”

Laura scoffs before she snickers. “Come on,  Carm .  Gimme a little more credit than  that. ”

“Guess I’ll just have to wait?” Carmilla asks, feeling Laura nod against her shoulder.

Carmilla gently kisses the top of her head, and Laura pulls away t o press her lips to  Carmilla’s in a light kiss.

 

The boat is still drifting, the tunnel in a dim but romantic light.

And then it turns a corner and Carmilla stares up at the top of the tunnel. Her mouth drops open. “Holy shit.”

Laura laughs. “I was expe cting a slightly less vulgar reaction.” She pauses and suddenly looks  really shy . “D-Do you like it?”

Carmilla silently turns back to face Laura, mouth continuing to remain open.

“I,  uhm , I asked LaFontaine to come with me and help me hang them up,” Laur a stammers nervously. “Perry came, too. She was  actually super good with the whole decorating process. Helped me with the layout and pick ed which go where.”

When Carmilla still doesn’t seem able to speak, Laura starts fidgeting.

“I know this was  kinda dum b. Or, like, super dumb. Sorry if you were having more fun before this. I just-just want to end your birthday on a good note. The best note possible. So,  uhm , w-we can go back and win more prizes and piss off more booth workers after this.”

Carmilla s hakes her head, tears rolling down her face. “Laura…”

 

Laura’s eyes widen as something occurs to her. “Oh  god , are you having a panic attack from the darkness? Quick! Make a fireball!”

Then she looks down at their boat. Their very flammable,  very  wooden boat.

“No, wait, don’t do that!” Laura yells in a frenzy. “I’ll just paddle us out of here w-with… with my… hands… Yes! With my hands.”

Carmilla grabs Laura’s hands right before they hit t he water.

 

“ Hello , Crazy Pants,” Carmilla shouts with a chuckle. “ Stop .”

Laura takes a breath and slowly settles in, calmer.

“I  love this,” Carmilla says, gesturing around them. “I love  all of it. And I love  you .”

 

Laura takes another breath, visibly relaxing. “You do?”

Carmilla nods, wiping away tears. “I really do.”

 

They look up and, hanging from strings all around them are various Polaroid pictures that Laura had taken over the past few months. Some Carmilla h ad known she took.

 

Like the one taken just last night of Carmilla and Kirsch, labeled “Reunited At  Last”-- him with a big, goofy grin, and her with a polite but warm smile.

 

Or one of Carmilla, Mattie, Papa Hollis, and Laura in the edge of the frame, tryi ng to get all four of them. Laura titled it “Family.” Carmilla and Mattie have their arms slung over  each others’ shoulders, and Laura’s father is showing off his wife’s heels, as well as his toned calf, while Laura’s smile lights up the corner.

 

There’s a lso a picture of them at Laura’s last Birthday Bash, with fireworks in the background. Laura had insisted, once they snuck away, that Carmilla remove her glamour charm for the picture. Carmilla seemed reluctant to return to her green self for this pictur e, but Laura stood her ground until she finally gave in. Right before Laura took the picture, she pressed a kiss to  Carmilla’s cheek, leading to an amusingly shocked look in the photograph that developed. A hastily and excited caption is written on it, re ading, “BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!”

 

But it’s the ones Carmilla didn’t know had been taken that really catch her eye.

 

Laura had taken two pictures while Carmilla was sick.

The first one is a profile of Carmilla cradling a bowl of soup in her hands, wrapped up in a blanket burrito. She was in the middle of laughing at something Laura had said while she was trying to cheer Carmilla up amidst the sickness and after their heavy conversation.

The other is of Carmilla asleep, the empty bowl on the table beside her. She’s lit by a dim lamp, but even in the shadows she looks at peace, as if Laura’s validation but assuaging of  Carmilla’s insecurities took away all the tension from her worries.

Both are captioned with a few simple hearts, which makes Carmilla smile.

 

T here’s a photo of Carmilla with Mattie, where Mattie had been teaching Carmilla a new spell. Mattie is gazing at Carmilla endearingly, as  Carmilla’s eyebrows furrow together in confusion while reading. It’s captioned, “Sisters.”

The picture right next to it is more recent, with Carmilla trying to teach Mattie how to speak again. This time, Carmilla is the one with the loving and patient look, while Mattie just has her arms crossed in frustration. Laura’s titled this one, “Sisters Forever.”

 

And the very last one in the tunnel is their first picture together, lit by  Carmilla’s fireball. A beaming Laura and Carmilla with a shy smile, the stars twinkling in the sky and the water gleaming behind them. Titled, “You’re My Star.”

 

“After my panic about us not going to Wizard Con or vacationing or road tripping,” Laura says softly as they drift to the end, “I realized… we don’t need any of that. We have something  better. Here. Now.  That’s what matters.”

Carmilla stares into Laura’s eyes and hums contentedly.

“ Y’know on our first date … the one at the  Ozdust Ballroom? When I was waiting for you to finish fixing your dress, everyone was staring at me and pointing…” She swallows hard. “I started panicking. Then suddenly you showed up and, just, staring into your eyes made it feel like everything was alright. Like no one else mattered.” She shrugs. “Maybe no one else really has. Not like that.”

 

Laura smiles, thinking about how the last time they spoke about this first date, it was full of  Carmilla’s insecurities that Laura wanted to be with a girl who only ever wants to help people, instead of a partner who could com plement her.

And now, here the y were.

 

They didn’t lose sight of who they are. Always remembered that rush of joy. Trying to keep away from  the land of what-might-have-been.

 

“ I’m not that girl, ” Carmilla had said.

Laura leans forward and presses a warm kiss to  Carmilla’s lips. “You ’ve always been my girl. You know that, right?”

Carmilla sniffles and nods. “I am yours and you are mine.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning (if you've read my writing before, you know the drill), this is gonna be the last fluff chapter before shit hits the fan haha.  
> Feel free to chat in the comments or if you want, you can hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine)  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is currently planned for Friday... again lmao.  
> And, as always, stay awesome ^-^


	24. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected guest appears with bad news, leading to a rescue mission that doesn't go according to plan. Laura finally gets some answers about the Wizard's endgame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear one of these days I'll post the update on time LOL. Some unexpected plans came up last night after work :x  
> Enjoy!

Carmilla rolls over in bed with a lazy grin when she sees Laura blinking groggily back at her.

“Good morning, stranger.”

Laura’s eyelids are still drooping from sleepiness and she pouts.  “I’m not a stranger. I’m Laura.”

Carmilla chuckles as she watches Laura slowly drift off to sleep again.  She gives her a forehead kiss and smiles when she hears some light snoring.  “Sleep well, cutie,” Carmilla whispers as she gets out of bed. She turns off the small lamp that Laura still lets her leave on all these years later to help her sleep.

 

Mattie and Perry are quietly reading together out on the balcony on the second floor, with LaFontaine nearby tinkering with a large hand fan. It’s a peaceful scene and Carmilla lingers for a bit.

The aroma of coffee wafts up slowly.

Carmilla continues to take in the view of Mattie hanging out with Animals for a while before Laura’s father walks up from the kitchen with a yawn.  “She still asleep?”

Carmilla nods.

“Good.  Poor thing needs rest.”

 

“Yeah,” she replies, trailing after him into the kitchen.  “I love that she had a whole outing for my birthday yesterday, but I hope we didn’t overdo it.”

“Seeing her get sick from fatigue like that was pretty terrifying. She’s always been so full of enthusiastic energy to right wrongs,” he comments with a chuckle.  “When she was five, she tried to rally her kindergarten class against the evils of Princess Culture. It was no less terrifying then.”

Carmilla laughs.  “Have you ever considered locking her up in a tower?”

“It’s a thought,” he admits, amused.  “Maybe something with really high walls.”

“Yeah, like a deep moat maybe?” Carmilla adds.  “Although she’d probably befriend the dragon or swim her way through the moat.”

He laughs heartily and starts pouring her coffee when footsteps approach them.

 

“I hope you guys know I heard all of that,” Laura grumbles playfully.

“You’re supposed to be sleeping,” Carmilla huffs.

Laura laughs.  “Shouldn’t have made such good-smelling coffee, then.  Or been laughing at me so loudly.”

Papa Hollis chuckles sheepishly as he pours a cup for Laura, as well.

 

Laura takes a sip and hums contentedly as she looks over at Carmilla.  “So… I was thinking… even if we have to spend our lives as fugitives, we do have those glamor spells.  We could still travel Oz together and do everything we’ve ever talked about.”

Carmilla gives her a small surprised smile.  “You’re not worried how we’re gonna spend the rest of our lives together?”

Laura shakes her head.  “I figure any two people in a relationship, their lives move at different paces. That isn’t the part that matters.”  She puts her hand over Carmilla’s and gives it a squeeze. “This. Here. Right now. This is what matters.”

She leans forward and captures Carmilla’s lips for a tender kiss.

 

Sherman clears his throat awkwardly and Laura pulls away with a giggle.

“Oh, no.  Don’t stop on my account,” he teases.  He pats Laura on the shoulder lightly as he goes to leave the room.  “I’m so happy you two found each other and make each other happy like this.  And support each other. And take a chance on each other.”

Laura grins adoringly at Carmilla.  “All we did was trust our instincts.  Closed our eyes and leapt. Right, dad?”

He laughs.  “Not  _ exactly _ what your mother and I had in mind when we told you that, sweetie.”

 

There’s a knock at the front door.

Laura frowns and she walks around her dad to go open it.

Her eyes widen at their newest guest.  “Mel?”

 

The munchkin storms through the doorway, ready to raise hell.

“I swear, Hollis, if they kill her—if they so much as  _ hurt _ her—I will dismantle this gorgeous home brick by brick and  _ throw them at you _ !”

Laura swallows hard.  “Okay, okay. Mel. Please just tell me what happened--”

“ _ You _ are what happened!” Mel lunges forward and before she can do anything, Carmilla holds up a hand, magically halting her in her tracks.

Carmilla steps forward, fire and anger in her eyes.  “You give me one reason why I shouldn’t fling you out the window right now,” she snarls, the tension in her arm visible.

“Carm,” Laura says gently.  “It’s fine. She’s not gonna do anything.”  She gives Mel a pointed look. “Right?”

Mel is still seething but reluctantly nods.

Carmilla slowly lowers her hand with a glare.

“What’s going on?” Laura asks, more gently this time.

 

Mel crosses her arms.  “So Red and I have been looking all over for you.  The news that you murdered Animals didn’t sit right with her at all.  Some say it was in cold blood, but some were insisting the Wicked Witch had you under her thrall.”  She huffs with glance at Carmilla. “Either way, Lawrence dragged me all around Oz for places you could be hiding out. Especially once Kirsch mysteriously went off somewhere with J.P. Then she found some old paperwork in his study that was left over from when Governor Hollis was in office about property on the border of Quadling Country.  It wasn’t anything he bought with his own money—it was like, a gift from another governor. So she figures, let’s go check it out. Except on our way to the train station, she gets snatched up while I’m buying tickets. I tried to chase after them, but whoever grabbed her have normal sized limbs and I don’t,” she grumbles.

“And you came here looking for me to see if I had answers,” Laura surmises.

Mel nods, annoyed.  “So it’s true? You’re working with the Wicked Witch.”

“I’ll explain everything in a bit,” Laura promises.  “After we find who took Danny.”

“Finally, something we agree on,” Mel growls.

 

Laura walks across the room and clears a pile off the picture of a pleasant countryside in a radium frame.  “Carm? Can you…?”

Carmilla sighs but nods.  “I wish to see Danny Lawrence,” she grumbles to it, and the picture glows.

It shows her, unconscious and tied up.

“This looks like a cell in the Wizard of Oz’s castle,” Carmilla notes before she swears she feels her heart stop beating.  Beside Danny is someone else familiar. “ _ Kirsch _ ,” she realizes, her blood running cold.

The shock of seeing her brother in the picture ruins the spell and Carmilla drops it to the floor.

“Carm,” Laura says softly.  “We’re gonna get him back.” She looks at Mel.  “We’re gonna get both of them.”

“We’d better,” Mel snarls.  “Lawrence may be a pain in my ass, but she’s the only pain in the ass I’m willing to put up with.”

 

“Okay, if they were in one of those cells at the Dean’s castle,” Laura says, trying to get Carmilla’s attention in particular, “then I say we go there with the same plan that we used to free all the Animals and Winged Monkeys.”

Carmilla seems to be pulled out of her shock and clears her throat.  “But this time since we don’t really know where we’re looking, we go in together?”

Laura nods.  “Did you finish that new thing you were working on?  To make it so people other than us can communicate long distances?”

Carmilla looks at her, surprised.  “How’d you know about that?”

“I saw it in some notes in the work room when I was in there trying to figure out how to take down the Dean,” Laura admits.

Carmilla’s mouth drops open.  “You were able to read that? Without Mattie’s help? Or mine?”

Laura’s eyes widen, having not even realized.  “Yeah, I guess so! I didn’t even realize it was in another language.  I just… could read it.”

“Well, well.  Buckle up, creampuff.  I think you’ve got casting your first spell coming up soon,” Carmilla chuckles.  “And yes, I finished that little project. Tested it out with… Kirsch before he left… and…”  Her voice cracks. “Doofus kept using it to ask for a burger.”

 

Laura frowns and hugs her before turning her attention to their still-angry guest.

“In that case-- Mel, since you’re not as familiar with the tunnels, I want you to stay here.  You coming with us would slow us down and we need this mission to be as quick as possible.” Mel starts to argue, but Laura cuts her off.  “I know you want to help. And I know you’re very capable of defending yourself. So I want you to stay here and hold down the fort. We’ll give you a communications device that Carm made for me and her.  Watch after the Animals and my dad, just in case the Wizard’s palace guards have found this place, too.”

 

Mel doesn’t seem entirely satisfied but consents.  Then she blinks, confused. “Wait. What Animals?”

* * *

  
  


“ _ I can’t believe you’ve built an entire village in the trees for at least a hundred Animals, _ ” Mel says over the communications device to Laura.  “ _ Talk about bringing your work home with you. _ ”

Laura chuckles.  She leads Carmilla past a couple intersections and they make a left.

They peer into each cell, but they’re all as empty as when Carmilla freed the Animals.

“Dammit,” Carmilla growls.

Laura motions for them to continue and they make it past a few turns, checking the cages where the Winged Monkeys and Mattie were.

Still nothing.

 

Carmilla’s shoulders slump forward and Laura takes her hand, giving it a squeeze.  “We’re gonna find them.”

The security and strength in Laura’s voice makes Carmilla crack a small smile.

They push forward for a couple hallways, and then turn right, finding a few more cells.

In the second one, they find two people tied up, bound and gagged.

“Oh my gosh!  Danny, Kirsch, hold on,” Laura says, moving out of the way so Carmilla can say her spell.  The two prisoners look up at her, eyes wide.

 

“ _ Peta babkama luruba anaku. _ ”

There’s a  _ click _ and Laura rushes in, confused when Danny and Kirsch both start frantically shaking their heads.  Laura starts undoing the ropes confining their arms and legs, while Carmilla removes their gags.

“Behind you!” Danny screams out as soon as hers is taken out.

“Hello, darlings,” a voice says from against the wall as a figure quickly slips out of the cell.

Carmilla and Laura turn in horror.

“Slightly disappointed that you fell for such an obvious trap,” the Dean sneers. “Such weakness.” Will leaps out from the corridor and slams the cell door closed and it locks.

“This was too easy,” Will cackles.

 

Fury flashes across Carmilla’s face and that’s the only warning anyone gets before a powerful wave knocks the cell door off its hinges, blasting into the Dean and Will and knocking them into a wall, rendering them unconscious.  Kirsch lets out an impressed chuckle and Danny just eyes them warily.

“You’re right,” Carmilla comments smugly as she steps out of the cell with Laura.  “That  _ was _ too easy.”

“I’m  _ so _ glad you came for us, dude,” Kirsch says around a sob as he hugs Carmilla.

Carmilla rolls her eyes and gives him an affectionate punch on the arm.  “Of course, dummy. Shoulda known I could’ve leave you alone for more than a couple days without you getting into trouble.”

 

There’s some groaning from the ground and Laura’s eyes widen.  “We gotta go, guys. Before they finish waking up.”

Carmilla and Kirsch run off first, and Laura tries to stay with Danny when it’s obvious she can’t run as fast as them.

“Remember how I told you if you ever picked me up, that I’d kill you?”

Laura nods.

“I changed my mind!” Danny yelps as she can hear reinforcements approaching them.  “Pick me up! Pick me up and carry me!”

Before Laura can react, she sees Carmilla and Kirsch stopped a few feet away.

 

“What’s going on?  Why did we stop?” Laura calls out, increasingly aware the Dean, Will, and others are approaching.

“There’s some kind of barrier here,” Carmilla growls, putting her hand up.  A force field wall appears.

Footsteps approach.

“Neat, huh?” Will says smugly.  He holds up a small long device with a button on top.  “A guest of ours helped us set up some new defenses around the castle.”

Theo steps forward, sneering, pulling the gun back out.  “Nowhere to go.” He trains the gun on Carmilla.

The magical rumbling starts, already intensified, and Will rolls his eyes.  “Just pull the damn trigger already.”

Theo does, but Laura is quicker and tackles him, sending the bullet ricocheting off into the tunnel wall.  She and Theo fall to the ground with a grunt, the gun scattering across the floor.

 

This doesn’t stop Carmilla’s powers in time, however, and chunks of the ceiling begin falling, leading everyone to dive out of the way as the large pieces of stone and wood come crashing down.

 

Carmilla groans and pushes herself up, seeing Kirsch had covered her with his body, but he seems more or less unscathed.

She also sees Danny, who had managed to leap just out of harm’s way.

_ But no Laura _ .

 

She scrambles to her feet, running up to the pile of rubble, several feet high, as the dust settles.  “Laura!” She pauses, her heartbeat thudding in her ears. “LAURA!”

“ _ I’m here, _ ” Laura’s voice replies, muffled.  “ _ And I just grabbed the device from Will and disabled the barrier.  You guys need to go. _ ”

Carmilla stares incredulously at the wall separating them.  “What?” No.” She shakes her head, even though she knows Laura can’t see her.  “Not without you.”

Before either of them can say more, there’s a scuffling noise.

 

“ _ Give me the damn remote! _ ” Will’s voice echoes as Lauran’s grunts are heard.

“ _ Carm!  Go! _ ”

The struggling gets more intense and Carmilla feels Kirsch grab her lightly but firmly.

“We gotta go, Carm,” he urgently says sadly.

Carmilla clenches her jaw.

“Laura, I’m coming back for you!” she yells as she steps past where the barrier was.  “And you! You motherfucking dried-up, saggy-tit wench of a woman ... I'll get you my pretty-- and your little dog too!”

 

That’s the last thing Laura hears from the other side of the rubble before her vision goes dark.

* * *

  
  


“…Ah, there she is.  Mister Straka, good lord.  I said to knock her out, not nearly put her into a coma,” the Dean’s voice cuts through the fog in Laura’s head.

“Ugh, where am I?” Laura murmurs.

She opens her eyes to find the Dean staring down at her.  “Once we showed you and Matska the cells in hopes of roping in the Witch into the mix, we created a cell that’s magic-proof.  So no pesky eyes will be peeping into this one to see you.”

Laura stares at her, bewildered.  “What the heck is your end game, here?”

“You’re leverage, dear,” the Dean explains.  “So that I know when that viridian villain comes sniveling back to save you, she’ll do exactly as I say.”

“Which is, what, exactly?” Laura growls.  “Why do you want to cause chaos around Oz?”

 

The Dean laughs.  “That was simply a side effect of my true intentions.  Which are much larger in scale and importance than just some random chaos and hate crimes.”

Laura narrows her eyes.

“Might as well tell you,” the Dean says.  “While we’re just sitting around waiting for your knight in shining broom stick to show up.”

Laura’s spent enough time with her the past five years to know when she’s about to actually have an open discussion, so she tries to clear the rest of the cobwebs from her mind.

“I’m not from here,” the Dean begins.

“As in, not from Emerald City?” Laura asks, confused.

 

“Oh, you naïve foolish, simple girl,” the Dean laughs, an empty sound as usual.  “Not from this  _ world _ .”

Laura stares at her, eyes wide, and the Dean nods.

“I came from a land with a sort of magic of its own.  We called it ‘science and technology.’ And the innovations people would make—cars and planes and telephones and computers.  All done with machines and the power of smarts and creating something with your hands. The beauty behind it all was what attracted me to science. The art of science till remains unparalleled to me in this world to this day.”

She scoffs.

“My lover, my soul mate, was a scientist as well.  And together, we embarked on a daring endeavor—create a gateway to another world.  And after toiling away for years, with the best minds in the world, we made one. One that drew on a lot of powerful energy to get us from our world to this one.  Unless we actively sought out an energy source strong enough, it was a one-way trip.”

 

She pauses and her mind travels back to memories from decades ago.

“He was so in love with this world from the very first moment we stepped through the portal.  The talking Animals, the witches, the magical lands—he was enamored with it all. We spent years here, observing and appreciating the world.  But… there was growing tension around Oz. Even before the famine of Munchkin Country, there was social unrest. Still, he wanted to make a life here and I guess I did, too.”

The Dean swallows hard, the next words coming out strained.

“One day he was trying to break up a fight in the street.  The fool was protecting the Animals but they assumed he wasn’t on their side and… he was killed.  Right in front of me.”

Laura’s face softens and her eyes become more sympathetic.

“And so I was stuck here, in a foreign land, without the man I loved.  I wanted to go home.” She laughs ruefully. “Any remaining fuel we’d used to get here expired years before and we had never bothered to research a way back.  Before I lost him, I had started a school for witches—the closest thing Oz had to the scientists of my world-- to try and mix their magic with my science and see what untold knowledge we could unlock.”

“It was how you got the title of the Dean and then the Wizard,” Laura surmises.

 

The Dean nods.  “I went through all of the tomes that professors and lecturers brought with them to teach students, trying to find any viable option to use as a source of energy to open the gate back to my home.”

Laura sighs.  “Then you found out about the Life Force from Animals.”

 

The Dean nods, crossing her arms.  “It wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I could do.  I started kidnapping Animals and taking it from them.  It wasn’t until the first batch that I realized what the consequences were.  But I didn’t care. There were so many to choose from. And the chaos that came with the Munchkin Country famine coincided nicely with the kidnappings, so no one ever suspected the truth behind what was going on.  And, as I’ve told you countless times before… sometimes, miracles can only come from sacrifice.”

Laura shakes her head in disdain.

“Twenty-six years ago, I finally got what I calculated would be sufficient energy to get me home after just a matter of months of kidnappings.  I collected the strongest witches I could find to help me direct the Life Force into the machine I had used to come to this land.”

Laura’s mouth drops open.  “Twenty-six years… that’s when the last of Oz’s witches mysteriously went missing!  The Animals were blamed for that, too!”

“Yes, yes,” the Dean says dismissively.  “Sarah Jane. Ell Sheridan. Maria Bronte. Among others.  They came and tried the spell and… It failed. Maybe it was too many witches, maybe it was rushed-- too many variables.  But the entire machine exploded and wiped out everyone in the room. Except me. I was somehow blown out of the area and left with a few minor injuries and one major one.  When I came to, I was surrounded by dead witches, a mysterious book, and still no way to return home, back at square one.”

 

She clenches her hands into fists in fury.

“Ever since then, I’ve been working on reconstructing the machine. The general chaos around Oz, between the Animal attacks and the Wicked Witch of West has been helpful, of course.  Finding the parts has been taking a while, but in the meantime I’ve kept myself busy continuing experimenting on Animals to make the entire process more efficient.”

Laura narrows her eyes.  “Like experimenting on Perry and turning her into a Lion capable of reasoning, just not speech?”

“Is that the Lion that Matska brought to me after she was almost murdered by Mr. Straka and his thugs?” the Dean asks flippantly.

“Yes,” Laura growls.  “Is there a way to keep that process going? Give the Animals back their ability to speak?”

The Dean shakes her head.  “Not through any means I’ve discovered.  The only reason anything happened to her was she walked into a beam while I was removing the Life Force from an Animal—foolish thing was trying to pick up a dust bunny.  I did try shooting similar amounts at some of the Animals I had already taken Life Force from out of sheer morbid curiosity, but it had no effect.”

Laura’s shoulders slump forward in defeat before sighing deeply.  “So that’s the project you need Carm for? To go… home?”

 

“About a decade ago, was able to start recollecting the Life Force.  To this day the machine hasn’t been completed but… As luck would have it, Matska told me about a young powerful witch at Shiz.  And when Carmilla was able to read the Grimoire that no one else could, well, she eliminated my need to somehow find more powerful witches after I’d essentially wiped out an entire generation of them.”

“So you were willing to risk Carm’s life?  Even after everything else? And you saw the effect of taking Life Force from Animals,” Laura points out.  “How could you continue, knowing you were driving them mad and leading to them being killed? That they were being  _ sacrificed _ for your means?”

This pushes the Dean over the edge.  “You have _NO_ idea what I lost.  How much it pains me to be stuck in this world _every_ _day_ , and see the people who were responsible for what I lost continue to roam free.”

Laura shakes her head.  “You can’t blame a whole group of people for the actions of a few!  I thought Munchkin rebels killed my mother and not once did I ever think to condemn them all.”

“Good for you,” the Dean spits out, her cold words dripping in venom.  “The lives of those I loved and lost meant  _ the world to me _ ! And they were taken away.  So why should anyone else get to keep theirs?”

 

Laura recoils from the pained tone and angry hatred in her voice.  “Is that why you killed her? Is that why you killed my mother? And Kirsch’s parents?”

“Spare me the indignation,” the Dean snarls.  “You are a naïve, foolish child. Nothing more.”

 

“That we can agree upon,” a voice says from behind Laura, making her jump.

She turns and gapes at the speaker.  “V- _ Vordenberg _ ?”

“Yes, I’ve been here the entire time,” he says matter-of-factly.  “And I am also the one who told her about your little dalliance with that discolored abomination.”

“Why are you helping her?”  Laura demands, surging forward in anger.  That’s when she realizes she’s in chains and they yank her back to the wall.

 

“Let me tell you another tale,” Vordenberg says, tossing his cane aside dramatically.  “I lived a long, rich life. My inheritance from a long line of wealthy Vordenbergs meant I could indulge whatever whims I had.  And then came the biggest discovery in my travels! Buried notes from a young scientist couple-- including one Lilita Morgan-- who had disappeared a few decades ago, about a portal to another world. It sounded like the adventure of a lifetime!”

Laura gapes at him.  “You’re from the same world as her?”

Vordenberg’s gesticulations become more manic.  “Yes. Yes. I spent some time recreating their experiment from the comfort of my own home.  The decades had made it so there more energy efficient options, and when the time came, I threw the switch with enough power to get my entire home here.”

“That’s how you landed here in a flying house,” Laura realizes.

“Yes, and unfortunately the mangled landing completely broke the machine I’d used to get here.”  He chuckles and begins to pace. “But! Imagine my surprise when I found an entire land of talking Animals and all this  _ magic _ .”

He clasps his hands together gleefully.

“Which brings me to…”

 

Vordenberg opens the door to the cell, steps out of it, in one fluid motion, slams the door closed with a locking  _ click _ .

The Dean runs up to it, horrified.  “What are you  _ doing _ ?”

He grins in her face, his eyes twinkling mischievously.  “Do you have any idea how much money one could make by taking all of the Animals and bringing them back to our world?  People from all over would bid on them for experimentation, for circus acts… for  _ servitude _ .”

Laura’s face hides no disgust.  “They’re  _ people _ !”

“They’re freaks,” Vordenberg sneers through the bars.  “Freaks that can bring me untold wealth. And I’m not letting anyone share it.”

The Dean growls.  “You greedy follicle-lacking feeble imbecilic--”

“Goodness, is this what it’s like listening to me speak?” he interrupts.

 

He turns and walks away, joined by a snickering Will and Theo.

“Soon enough, the witch will be here, probably with the Animals you two have been collecting over the years to try and liberate you, Miss Hollis,” Vordenberg states.  “And when your life hangs in the balance, she will do exactly as I say. And I’ll return home a rich man.”

Their footsteps echo down the tunnel.

 

The Dean stays pressed up against the door, her hands clenched into fists as she seethes.

“Welcome to the Naïve, Foolish, And Simple Club,” Laura grumbles from behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment below to chat! And you can always also hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update should be Friday (probably hopefully).  
> As always-- Stay awesome <3


	25. The Distraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carmilla and the others head back to rescue Laura, who makes some discoveries while talking with the Dean. Vordenberg plays dirty when his plan is threatened. Carmilla realizes there's more to her powers than she's learned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really starting to think the Universe doesn't like me updating on Fridays because I just got a text from my dad that he got into a car accident and needs me to pick him up from the emergency room in a few hours. Had to make sure this went up before then, amirite? ;)  
> Seriously, though. Hope you guys enjoy it haha

Carmilla’s work table goes soaring across the room-- one of many casualties from her fit of rage upon her return to the house with Kirsch and Danny safely in tow.

Sherman had barely gotten a “where’s Laura?” out before Carmilla finally let out the pent-up anger she’d hidden on the train ride back.

 

Now, her work room was in tatters.

 

Kirsch and Danny had awkwardly caught Papa Hollis up on how their rescue mission went awry, while he and Kirsch tried their best to explain to Danny and Mel what exactly had transpired between Laura and Carmilla the past five years.

The whole time, all of them flinch when something else shatters or crashes in the next room or she lets out a yell.  Kirsch tries to go to the other room a few times, with the others gently suggesting he give Carmilla some space.

Finally, the noises stop, so Kirsch carefully walks over and pokes his head in.  Carmilla is leaning against the wall, breathing heavily as tears stream down her face.

 

“Carm,” he says gently.

Spell books have been torn.  Potion bottles are cracked open.  Her projector to cast her around Oz is in pieces.

Carmilla takes a deep, shaky breath. “We never labeled it.”

He frowns in confusion.  “Labeled what?”

She turns and for a moment, he’s afraid she’s going to throw more things around with her powers.  Instead, she walks over to the only things untouched on her work table. She hands one to him, wiping at her cheeks.

“Our last Polaroid picture together.  She labels all of them with some cute title,” she replies, her voice raspy.

 

Kirsch looks at the pile remaining on the table.

A couple pictures captioned with a few hearts.  One is of Carmilla with a blanket around her, laughing.  And the other is of her asleep around the same time.

One of Carmilla, Mattie, Mr. Hollis, and Laura, labeled “Family.”

Two pictures of Carmilla with Mattie.  One each of them teaching the other, captioned “Sisters” and “Sisters Forever.”

One of Carmilla and Laura in front of twinkling water and the gorgeous night sky, labeled, “You’re My Star.”

And one of him and her, titled, “Reunited At Last.”

 

He looks down at the one in his hand, similar to the last one he saw of Carmilla and Laura. Laura seems slightly more beaten up, but is beaming with joy regardless.  Carmilla seems happier and lighter, too.

But the space beneath the picture is blank.

 

Kirsch looks back up at Carmilla, who seems to be staring at the pile of Polaroid pictures.

“Well, then… We can’t have  _ that _ ,” Kirsch says as brightly as he can.  “We have to find Laura and make sure this picture has a title.   _ That’s _ the priority.”

Carmilla raises her gaze and looks at him before letting out a watery chuckle.  “I love you, you idiot.”

He grins at her.

Carmilla swallows hard and nods, her wallowing over.  “Let’s rally the troops and go get Laura back.”

He lets out a whoop and drags her out of the room by the hand.  “Let’s go get Laura’s back!”

 

* * *

 

“Wipe that stupid smug look off your face,” the Dean snaps at Laura.

Laura shrugs.  “I’m not the one whose evil deeds are coming back to bite her in the tushy.”

The Dean walks up to Laura, narrowing her eyes in a glare.  “Yeah, well, for someone who thinks they’re the heroine of Oz, you’re in the same place as me.  So what does that say about you?”

“The difference is, you’re in here with no one out there coming to save you.  Carm and my friends and family are coming for me,” Laura replies bluntly.

The Dean stares at her coldly before turning away with a growl.  She spins with such a force that something flies out of her pocket and clatters across the floor.

Laura’s eyes follow it and widen. Her mouth drops open. “Holy guacamole.”

The Dean sighs as she goes to pick it up.  “What?”

 

“Y-Your necklace… It… It… I-It looks like…  Like…”

“This old thing?” the Dean asks when Laura’s too shocked to finish her statement.  “I’ve had it with me since I came here from my world. Pretty much the only thing I still have from there.  Broken and all.”

“But… It…”  Laura stammers.  “It looks like a circle missing a triangle.”

The Dean rolls her eyes.  “How astute. Yes, a piece broke off during the failed portal experiment a couple decades ago.”

 

Laura shakes her head.  “No, that’s not--” She sighs and gestures with her wrists.  “Do you have something that can get these off?”

“Nice try,” the Dean says dryly.

“Come  _ on _ ,” Laura groans before huffing.  “Fine. Reach into my inner coat pocket.”

The Dean eyes her suspiciously before bending down and doing as asked.  She produces a Polaroid photo. It’s of a not-green Carmilla and Laura at Laura’s most recent Birthday Bash, captioned, “BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!!!”

“Why am I looking at this revoltingly saccharine photo?” the Dean asks, her lips twisting up in disgust.

“Look at Carm’s neck,” Laura replies.

The Dean grudgingly looks closer at the photo before her eyes also widen in shock.  She drops the picture, her mind going a mile a minute as chills run through her. “That’s impossible,” she whispers in horror.

 

“Is it?” Laura asks hesitantly.  “This portal thing happened twenty-six years ago?  And Carm just turned twenty-six.” She swallows hard.  “Carm always said she thought her necklace charm fit into something bigger coz of the ridges on the edge.  And that when the Kirsches adopted her, they said the only thing she had on her was that charm and she wouldn’t let go of it, so they made it into a necklace.”

“It’s impossible,” the Dean repeats.  “Because I  _ lost my baby _ .”

Laura frowns.  “What are you—”

 

Suddenly, the Dean’s earlier words ring in her head.

“ _ You have no idea what I lost.  How much it pains me to be stuck in this world every day, and see the people who were responsible for what I lost continue to roam free. _ ”

“ _ The lives of those I loved and lost meant  _ the world to me _! And they were taken away.  So why should anyone else get to keep theirs? _ ”

 

Lives.  Plural.

 

“You were pregnant,” Laura gasps.  She had assumed the Dean meant she’d lost her way home.   _ Not that… _

“Days away from giving birth,” the Dean replies flatly.  “I wanted her to have a better life, away from this crazy world.”

A silence follows as Laura takes this in, swallowing hard.

 

Laura looks at her, her eyes soft.  “I spent so much time hating you and being afraid of you that I just couldn’t see it.  Your broken heart. You didn’t just lose your love, but because of that love, you were trapped in a foreign world like it was chains.  And fear and hatred twisted you into something you were never supposed to be. Somewhere in all that anger and darkness, you lost all your hope, didn’t you?” She sighs sadly. “Of course it’s too late to control you… But maybe, it’s not too late to give you back what they took.  To set you free.” Laura clenches her jaw. “Y-You already took the energy and if there’s really no way to give it back… After all of this… when Carmilla comes to save me and we stop Vordenberg, I promise we will send you home.”

The Dean scoffs.  “I’m pretty sure after I’ve made the Wicked Witch’s life a living Hell for the past five years, she’ll want to melt me.”

“She won’t,” Laura insists gently.  “Especially not when she finds out you’re her mother.”

 

“I’m  _ not _ her mother,” the Dean snarls.  “I  _ can’t _ be. My daughter  _ died _ in the womb when the portal to my home exploded.”

“You were pregnant when Elle Sheridan and the others opened the portal for you,” Laura repeats.

The Dean nods morosely.  “ _ Tried _ to open the portal.  It collapsed, remember?”

Laura shakes her head.  “I don’t think it did. At least, not ineffectively.”  She manages to stand up and look the Dean in the eyes. “Isn’t it possible that since you’re not from this world, when Carmilla was conceived here, it gave her some special abilities?  Like being able to cast magic without saying spells, reading a grimoire no one else can decipher, or… teleporting away from an exploding portal? Teleporting  _ both _ of you away from the exploding portal?”

She waits as the Dean stares at her uneasily.

“Carm’s teleported before.  She did it when she got caught in the cave-in after you kidnapped Kirsch’s fiancé and experimented on her.”

The Dean looks queasy.  “I always longed to be a mother.  And now… we’re saying that… Not only did I  _ not _ lose my child, but I have been responsible in vilifying her and creating a manhunt for her?”

Laura swallows hard.  “I—”

 

“ _ You’re sure about these reports? _ ” Vordenberg’s voice echoes down the hall.

“ _ Yes, _ ” Will replies.

A third set of footsteps sprint to catch up to them.  “ _ More reports.  Apparently there are dozens of Animals, the Winged Monkeys, and others reported as being spotted on castle grounds, _ ” Theo says.

Vordenberg appears at the cell bars.  “I am not quite sure how your friends traveled there and back so quickly.  But I guess with this news, it works out even better for my original plans.  We just have to cause a diversion so they can come to fruition. Because I built off the Wizard’s plans ever so slightly.”

Laura looks at him, not understanding.

“We knew that you’ve started an entire community of Animal rescues,” Vordenberg declares.  “ _ Many _ of whom are here to find and save you now.  With their abundance of life force intact. With an option to breed more.”

Her eyes widen.  “No.”

He nods.  “The device I used to get here is powerful enough to send this  _ entire castle _ back to my world.  Where they’re always looking for the newest alternative energy sources. Imagine how revered I will be for finding beings who literally generate usable energy. Imagine how much I could get from this  _ army _ of Animals.  Or from your Carmilla alone.”

 

The Dean and Laura stare at him in horror.

“I won’t let you do this,” Laura growls.  “I’m not letting you people kill anyone else.”

“Miss Hollis, I have no illusions that you will  _ let _ me do anything.”  He unlocks the cell door and Theo charges in with the electrified stick, shocking the Dean until she crumples to the ground.

 

Before Laura has a chance to react, Will grabs Laura by the arm.  She quickly whirls and uses her free arm to elbow him in the gut, then snaps her hand up into his nose and he stumbles backwards with a groan.  Blood streams down his face and Laura goes to deliver another blow, when both her wrists are grabbed and held behind her back.

“We could’ve been friends, Hollis,” Theo snarls into Laura’s ear.  “But, no. You had to choose that ugly wad of wasabi with legs.”

“Just saying  _ that _ means we never could’ve been friends,” Laura replies, grunting when Theo shoves her forward and walks her out of the cell.

 

Will walks over and backhands her before growling as he retrieves the rope and ties her hands again.

“Oh, Miss Hollis,” Vordenberg sighs.  “Such fire wasted in you.”

He reaches into his pocket and produces a small tube.

“Imagine my surprise when I was poring through books here and found out that this world produces a special type of  _ papaver somniferum _ .”

Laura looks at him, confused.

“Poppy,” he clarifies.  “You know… those big hypnotic and brilliant scarlet flowers, more beautiful than any other poppy I’ve ever seen, at the borders of Munchkin Country. Big, bright, lively, luscious, and delicately scented.  I read that their odor and fragrance here is so strong and so powerful, that anyone who breathes it in instantly begins to fall asleep. Tested it out earlier on some scrappy rebels caught near the castle.  Works like a charm.”

He holds up the tube, which has markings on it.

“This is called a syringe.  I extracted the exact compound from your world’s poppy that makes people sleep for eternity.  Because, from what I understand, if someone were to simply carry you away from the poppy, you’d wake up.  That won’t be an option here.”

Laura swallows hard as Vordenberg walks behind her, removing the cap from the syringe needle.

 

* * *

 

“We’re all teamed up, right?” Carmilla says as the last group steps out with Ginger, who’s teleported everyone from the hidden house.  “Any Animal unable to speak is paired with one of their kind who can speak?”

There’s grunts and murmurs of affirmation.

Carmilla turns to Ginger.  “Thank you again for your help.”

“Of course,” they reply.  “Laura has been nothing but kind to me whenever I bring Mattie around.  Always offers me food or water. Unlike  _ some _ people.”

Mattie narrows her eyes in a glare.

“Good luck with the rescue. Sorry I couldn’t get you closer.  But, well, you saw when you tried your spell with the picture-- something’s blocking magic from pinpointing Laura’s exact location right now. Sure you don’t need me to stick around?”

Carmilla nods, holding up the summoning bell.  “But I can still call on you if we need you, right?”

“Of course.”  Ginger disappears and Carmilla takes a deep breath.

Mattie walks over and lovingly bumps against Carmilla’s hand with hers.  Carmilla smiles down at the touch.

 

She realizes everyone is looking to her and she steels her nerves.

“Okay. Once we get in, remember your assignments so we can cover the entire castle since we don’t know where exactly Laura is.  Search every room in every wing in every floor.”

She taps LaFontaine on the shoulder.

“You’re up.”

 

They nod and receive a proud look from Perry.  She hands them their new invention and they flap their wings a few times before flying towards the castle defenses.

A couple guards had already gone in to call for reinforcements, while the remaining had lowered a thick, stone gate.

LaFontaine opens their new device and readies it.

One guard scoffs from through the viewing window at his post behind the wall.  “What is a fan going to do?”

Grinning smugly, LaF unleashes the magic fan they’ve been tinkering with at full force, instantly creating a powerful wind that immediately blows apart a chunk of the wall with its first wave.  After a few more, the entire wall is gone, and the guards are screaming and scrambling into the castle.

LaFontaine flies back and gives Carmilla a wink.

“Not bad, not bad,” Carmilla replies with a chuckle.  “Quite the genius, aren’t ya?”

She looks at the large group around her and clears her throat nervously.

 

“Hi, uhm, everyone.  I don’t have a giant rousing speech and even if I did, I couldn’t deliver it like Laura could.  But you all came with me willingly and for that I am amazed and grateful. Some of you were rescued by her without any pretense.  And some of you were under the impression that she was a tool of oppression.”

She looks at the Bear, Zebra, and Lion who were rescued during Laura’s last Birthday Bash, and they give small nods.

“Some of you have lost the ability to speak.”  She looks at Natalie, Corrina, Samuel, and Enki.  “And some of you have been with us from the beginning.”

Carmilla looks towards the castle.

“But we’re all here now.  Because of Laura. She’s helped all of us at some point, and now it’s our turn to help her. So.”  She swallows hard. “Let’s go in there and get our girl!”

There’s a chorus of growls, roars, and “YEAH!”

 

“You three groups, come with me to the higher floors!” Papa Hollis yells, leading the first charge.

Kirsch walks up to Carmilla and gives her a pat on the back.  “Pretty good speech, sis.”

Carmilla chuckles.  “Let’s go.”

 

Their area of search is in the eastern tunnels-- the last place they saw Laura.

Carmilla moves the rubble with her spell, heart pounding as they continue down the tunnels.  Having Mattie and Kirsch by her side helps. Even Danny, too, in a weird way.

 

They round a corner and bump right into Theo and Will.

“Whoa, you were right,” Theo says, readying his electrified stick. “How’d you know they’d be here?”

Will stares at Theo.  “We saw them coming this way on Vordenberg’s security … camera… device… thing.”

“Oh, right.”

Will rolls his eyes.  “Idiot. That’s why you’re just the muscle.”

 

Carmilla growls and holds up her hands, pinning them both against the wall.  “Go! Find Laura!” she yells at Danny, Mattie, and Kirsch. “That is, if I can’t get them talking first.”

The others nod and run down the tunnel.

“Even if you find her, you’re already too late,” Will sneers.  “He’s already got a whole plan in place. Laura’s as good as dead.  He just needs to slow you down long enough to put some finishing touches on.”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “What are you talking about?”

“You walked right into a trap, Karnstein,” Theo says smugly.

  
  


Kirsch and Mattie peek into every cell, while Danny keeps a lookout around them.

“Man, there are so many cells here,” Kirsch comments.  “And these all had Animals?”

Mattie nods morosely.

“I had no idea,” Danny sighs.  “The Wizard always seemed so… magnificent and… well, wonderful.  Always had a solution for any problem. I never thought she was the  _ cause _ of so many of them.”

There are some frantic bleats and Kirsch and Danny run over to where Mattie is pointing through the bars.

 

“If you have nothing nice to say, Miss Lawrence, don’t say anything at all,” the Dean snaps from the other side of them.

“What are you doing in there?” Kirsch asks.  “Did… Did you accidentally lock yourself in there?”

The Dean lets out a long sigh.  “You really think the evil mastermind who’s had Oz eating out of the palm of her hand for the past three decades would  _ accidentally lock herself in her own cage? _ ”

Danny rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.  “Someone thinks too high for herself. Where’s Laura?”

“Vordenberg took her,” the Dean growls.

The trio looks at each other in confusion.  “The old guy?” Danny asks. “The one with the cane and the long-winded stories?”

 

“Yes, well, I’m not about to recount his entire life story.  All you need to know is he wants to use Laura as a distraction so he can get his more nefarious plan of kidnapping Animals completed,” the Dean replies.  “ _ But _ if you want to find and save Laura Hollis, he has her upstairs in the grand hall.”  She grits her teeth as she reluctantly adds, “And you’d better hurry. She doesn’t have much time left.  Vordenberg injected the sleeping poppy right into Laura so she’d never be able to wake up. I doubt he even diluted it so that high of a concentration might kill her sooner than we’d all like.”

Danny and Mattie’s eyes widen and they start to run back the way they came before Kirsch calls out after them.  “Wait! What about the Dean? Shouldn’t we let her out? She did just help us. And Laura.”

Danny rolls her eyes.  “First of all, we don’t have a key.  Second of all, she could be lying to us about where Laura is and we won’t know until after we look upstairs.  And third of all,” she narrows her eyes at Kirsch, “you really wanna release the monster that took away Mattie’s voice while we have Mattie  _ with _ us?”

Kirsch chances a glance over at Mattie, whose arms are crossed as she glares at him with all of her fury.

“Good points,” he gulps.

 

Heading down the tunnel, they ignore the slew of profanities from the Dean that echo after them.

They go back to where they left Carmilla, only to find the area empty.

“Wh-What now?” Kirsch asks nervously.

Danny swallows hard.  “Uhm… we check the hall?”

She looks at Mattie, who nods in agreement.

 

They run up the stairs and stop short at the heartbreaking scene before them.

 

Carmilla is cradling an unconscious Laura’s head in her lap, one hand supporting it and the other hand gently caressing Laura’s cheek.

“She won’t wake up,” Carmilla sobs without looking up.  “She’s barely breathing.”

Danny approaches slowly.  “We found the Wizard in a cell.  She… She said Vordenberg injected her with poppy to make sure she never wakes up.  Enough to k… ki-kill her.”

Carmilla sniffles and shakes her head.  “She’s lying.  _ She _ did this.”

Kirsch kneels next to her and carefully places a hand on her arm.  “I don’t think she is, sis. She, uh, said he’s using Laura as a distraction for something bigger.”

Carmilla whips her head to glare at him.  “Laura isn’t a  _ distraction _ ,” she snaps.  “She’s my whole world.  My sky and my stars.”

“I know,” he says softly.  “I know.”

 

“She can’t die,” Carmilla says, voice cracking as she looks back down at a paling Laura.  “Do you hear me? I can’t lose you. Not now. Not after all this.” She sniffles, tears streaming down her face.  “You were supposed to stay  _ safe _ , Laura.  We were supposed to have a nice little life.  With carnivals and Wizard cons and magic. With  _ me _ .”

Her voice cracks again and she shakes her head, unable to speak and unable to cope with any reality of a life without Laura.

 

“Sp-sp… Spe…ll,” someone says.

Everyone turns and gapes at Mattie, Carmilla included.

“Mattie?” Carmilla asks.

Mattie clenches her hands into fists as she struggles to speak again.  “Sp… Spell.”

Carmilla furrows her eyebrows in confusion.  “What spell?”

 

Mattie clears her throat and kneels in front of Carmilla and gestures between Carmilla and Laura.  “Sp…ell. Wake up.”

“You… You want me to do a spell to wake her up,” Carmilla realizes.  “It’d be the equivalent of carrying her out of the poppy field.”

Mattie nods.

Carmilla looks down sadly at Laura.  “But I don’t know any spell to wake someone up.”

“In…stinct,” Mattie says slowly.  “Close eyes. Leap.”

Carmilla sniffles and closes her eyes.  She takes a long, deep breath.

 

And she focuses on Laura.

 

The usual trigger for her sudden surge in magic is panic and fear.  A need to survive.

But her instinct tells her that’s not what’ll be needed.  Not this time.

Because she doesn’t just need to survive.  She needs to live.

So instead, she thinks about how Laura makes her feel.

 

Brave.  Safe.  _ Unlimited _ .

 

Carmilla focuses on how before they were even friends, Laura rushed into an unknown and potentially dangerous situation in Will’s office, just to make sure she’s okay.

Or that time Laura skipped out on a chance to meet with Mattie just so she could share her umbrella with Carmilla during a downpour.

How Laura defended Carmilla against the other students and even the Kirches for being cruel to her.

The way Laura made sure Carmilla felt like she belonged at the Ozdust ballroom and had asked her what  _ she _ wants – the first time anyone bothered to ask.

How Laura didn’t hesitate for a second to burn her life to the ground when the Wizard turned Carmilla into a fugitive.

The home Laura invited Carmilla to live in -- that they eventually made their own.  The afternoons they baked together, the sunsets they watched at each other’s sides. The nights curled up on the couch.  And the lamp Laura always left on for her while they slept.

The fact that Laura hid how bad of a backlash she was facing just so Carmilla could hone her magic skills and find her own way in life.

The gentle way Laura took care of her when she was sick, or whenever she was feeling insecure.

How Laura patiently walked her through her first ‘hero’ mission to get fugitive Animals to safety by herself.

 

The sincerity in her voice and eyes when she told Carmilla that she was the axis her world turns on.  And that she was her hero.

 

If this had been six years ago, Carmilla would’ve balked at the notion of being someone’s hero.

 

But with Laura in her arms, she knew she could be.

Because Laura was her hero.  And she was Laura’s.

 

A surge of power courses through her body, much like right before she shakes a room or casts a particular challenging spell.

Except this is even more powerful.

The words flow through her lips naturally.

 

_ “Ambulahn Dare Somnium Somnium Ambulahn Dasca Somnum Expergiscimini Expergiscimini Pede Pede Somnum _ ,” she chants. “ _ Ambulahn Dare Somnium Somnium Ambulahn Dasca Somnum Expergiscimini Expergiscimini Pede Pede Somnum _ .”

 

Her eyes open and drift down to Laura’s face in apprehension.  Everyone remains still, holding their breath as seconds that feel like eternities go by.

_ It didn’t work. _

_ I’ve lost Laura forever. _

 

_ I never told her I loved her enough times _ .

 

Tears form anew in Carmilla’s eyes as an entire life together goes up in flames.  All the lives they wanted to save. The people they wanted to help.

All of the things on Laura’s plan that they never got to.

 

Her hold on Laura tightens and that’s when a soft groan imperceivably comes from Laura’s mouth.

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “Laura?” She swallows hard.  “L-Laura?”

 

Laura’s eyes crack open slowly and she lets out a small huff.  “ _ Fiiiiive _ more  _ miiiiinutes _ ?”

Carmilla lets out a watery laugh and immediately dives forward, tightening her embrace and giving her several sloppy kisses all over her face.  Everyone sighs in relief, small sobs in between.

“Ow, ow,” Laura finally manages to mumble and Carmilla immediately stops and pulls away.

“Crap!  I’m sorry,” Carmilla sobs.  “I-I… Are you hurt? It looks like maybe you’re hurt.  And I’m sorry I hugged you so hard that you’re hurt. It- it’s just that I thought you were dead an-and now you’re awake and I re…”  Her voice cracks. “I really thought I lost you.”

Laura manages to sit up a bit and gently touches Carmilla’s face.

 

“Hey, hey.  I’m here,” she says softly.  “Breathing, heartbeat, and all.”

Carmilla sniffles and nods.

Laura bunches up her face in confusion.  “Which... Not that I’m not grateful, but how  _ am _ I breathing and awake and alive?”

“A spell to wake you up.”  Carmilla looks over at Mattie.  “It was her idea.”

Laura chuckles.  “How’d she mimic  _ that _ one?”

“She didn’t,” Carmilla replies.

 

Laura stares at her for a few seconds, not understanding.  Then, her eyes slowly widen in realization. “Sh-She spoke?”  She looks at Mattie. “You  _ spoke _ ?”

Mattie nods shyly.  “Ye…es.”

Laura manages to push herself up in her excitement but groans when she overexerts herself.

“Whoa, whoa, take it easy,” Carmilla says softly, propping her up as comfortably as she can.

Laura laughs sheepishly as she leans against Carmilla.  “Sorry. Got excited.” She grins up at Mattie. “I can’t believe you spoke!”

 

Mattie smiles at her.  “Wanted… Save you.” When she visibly realizes that she’s being too sentimental, she crosses her arms.  “Dozens Animals. Also came. No b-big deal.”

“Mmhmm,” Laura hums, unconvinced.

Mattie huffs but gives Carmilla a wink as she gestures at Danny and Kirsch to give Carmilla and Laura some room.

 

“I didn’t know you knew a spell to wake someone up,” Laura says.  “If I had, I would’ve totally learned magic just so I could use it on you years ago.”

“Ha. Ha.”  Carmilla wipes away the remaining tears.  “I didn’t know the spell, actually.”

Laura frowns at her in confusion.  “Huh?”

Carmilla shrugs.  “I just… thought about how much I love you.  How much I didn’t wanna lose you. And the spell flowed naturally from there.”

 

Laura chuckles, blinking groggily.  “Wow. I took one sickness-induced nap the other day and woke up to some major home renovations.  Took a poppy nap today and woke up to find Mattie speaking again and you investing spells. Maybe I should nap more often.”

Carmilla swallows hard.  “Or, uhm. Never nap again.  That’s an option, right?”

“Too soon for that joke, got it,” Laura says gently.  She leans forward slowly and gives Carmilla a soft peck on the lips.  “Can’t get rid of me that easily. I’ll be yours as long as you’re mine.”

 

Carmilla lovingly boops Laura on the nose.  “Y’know… Before I met you, I hated the world around me.  It saw me as a monster and all I could see was the ugliness in Oz.  But… From the moment we met at Shiz, you got me seeing through different eyes.  Maybe I’m the one who can do magic, but you’re the one who’s always gotten me to fall under your spell.  And somehow I'm feeling… it's up that I fell.”

Laura giggles, remembering her contribution to Carmilla’s “defying gravity” moment all those years ago.  “I’m glad you didn’t change who you are, though. You just… grew. As long as you're mine, I always want you to come be how you want to, and see how bright we shine together.  Coz that’s our story. Our story is that we make each other better.”

Carmilla grins.  “I do like that story.”

 

Laura’s eyes widen, the last of the fog clearing from her mind.  “Wait! Story. Vordenberg. We have to go stop him!”

Danny, Kirsch, and Mattie return when it’s obvious the reunion moment between Laura and Carmilla is over.

“The Wizard told us that he was using Laura as a distraction so he can get his more nefarious plan of kidnapping Animals completed,” Danny recounts.

 

“He wants to teleport this entire castle with all of the Animals you brought to save me and take them to his world, where he can sell them off as an energy source, or into slavery,” Laura explains, wincing a bit as she sits up more with Carmilla’s help.

Everyone looks at each other, horrified.

“We are  _ not _ letting that happen,” Danny growls.  “I’ll grab his rickety old legs and yank it out from under him myself if I have to!”

“Let’s get going!” Kirsch yells, already heading for the doorway back to the lobby.  “We have to free the Animals and tell them all to get outta the castle!”

 

Before he can get there, however, there’s a loud creaking.  Suddenly, a large heavy gate crashes down, cutting off the escape.  The same thing happens to all the exits out of the main hall, locking them all in.

Loud feedback echoes through the area, followed by a crackle.

“ _ Not so fast _ ,” Will’s voice taunts.

Laura and Carmilla look at each other.  Laura sighs, shoulders slumped forward. “Crap.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to chat in the comments below or if you want, you can reach me on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story can also be found over on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine)  
> I'll also continue to tag any stuff related to this fic on tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). Next update is currently planned for next Friday barring any more freak incidents.  
> And, as always, stay awesome! <3


	26. No One Mourns The Wicked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura, Carmilla, and the others work to stop Vordenberg before he can bring the entire castle of Animals away from Oz. Carmilla struggles with a revelation, while Mattie helps Laura realize something about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No fuss no muss, finally an update that went up on time LOL  
> Enjoy!

There’s a crackle and some feedback through the room.

“ _ You’re not freeing anyone, _ ” Will sneers over the loudspeakers.  “ _ You’re all staying put until Vordenberg is ready to teleport the castle and everyone in it. _ ”

 

Kirsch frowns.  “Did the Wizard ever get that mechanism she was talking about to lock down the whole castle?”

Laura shakes her head.  “The people asked for the funding that was supposed to go to that project to go to my trip to the Vegetable Kingdom.  She tried to say no, but it got a little crazy. Even the palace guards agreed it’d be a better use of resources for my trip than to fortify a building that’s never been under attack.”

“Well, except for the attack from the Wicked Wi--”  Danny catches herself as she feels Laura and Carmilla glare down at her, and clears her throat.  “Right. Never been under attack.”

“The only thing that can be locked down is this room,” Laura says.

 

“So we just have to find a way out of this room,” Kirsch says, running his hand along the wall.  “Maybe a secret passage or something?”

“Look at you,” Carmilla comments with a snicker.  “Using your brain.”

He grins at her and continues searching, with Danny joining him, mumbling, “Maybe there’s something down here.”

 

Carmilla turns to check on Laura and rushes over when she finds her sitting with her head in her hands.  “Hey,” she says in concern. “H-How are you feeling?”

“I don’t think the poppy is entirely out of my system, yet.”  Laura winces. “Guess I wasn’t kidding when I asked for five more minutes. I feel like I had a whole other brain crammed into my skull.  I could really use a cookie right about now. Like, the whole tray that we baked last weekend.”

Carmilla sighs and sits down beside her, letting Laura lean her head on her shoulder.

“Really scared me there, cutie.”

“Sorry,” Laura mumbles.

 

Mattie walks over with something in her hand and she gives it to Carmilla.  “Dropped in. Tunnel,” she says carefully. “All the trouble. Upgrading. Just to drop?”

Laura smiles up at her as Carmilla grins sheepishly and takes the pointed hat from Mattie.  The same pointed hat Laura had given Carmilla during their first date at the Ozdust ballroom, which had become part of the Wicked Witch of the West’s iconic look.

“Upgrade?” Laura asks.  “Does that mean you managed to…?”

Carmilla winks.  “Of course.”

 

“I’m so glad you can speak again, Mattie,” Laura says as she examines Carmilla’s hat.

Mattie shifts uncomfortably from Laura’s compliment and crosses her arms.  “Can. Insult you. Again.”

Carmilla lets out a snort and Laura laughs.

“You two really spent too much time together these past five years, cutie,” Carmilla comments.  “Mattie told me to trust my instincts, close my eyes, and leap.”

Laura frowns in confusion.  “I actually… don’t think I’ve ever said that to her?  I’ve really only said it to you and heard it from my parents.”

Mattie rolls her eyes so far Laura’s not sure if they’ll ever roll back.  “Where. Think. Mom heard it from?” She points at herself. “Me. Is f-first lesson of magic. Carmilla knew already. You knew phrase already. Never made… connection?”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “No.”

Mattie narrows her eyes with a grumpy huff.  “Always with the planning. Never actually listen to instincts.”

 

Laura pouts.  “Y’know I did just almost die, right?  Can’t you be a  _ little _ nicer to me?”

Carmilla lightly nudges Mattie.

“Sorry,” Mattie says stiffly.  “Am unhappy to be stuck in here.”

Laura nods and looks around them as Kirsch and Danny continue to scour the room.  “It’s just too bad that whole sonic scream thing was a myth. Could really use that right now.”

Mattie’s eyes widen.  “Not a. Myth.”

_ This _ gets Laura’s attention.  “Wait, what?” She jumps to her feet, albeit shakily.  “Do you think you could use it to blast the door and gate open?”

“Maybe.”  Mattie walks over and knocks on the door to test the density.

“Who’s there?” Kirsch asks, earning a smack from Danny.

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “Very thick.”

“Yes, he is,” Danny says as she walks over with Kirsch.

 

“Apparently Mattie’s sonic scream wasn’t urban legend after all,” Laura explains.  “I was hoping she could blast our way out.”

Mattie frowns.  “Sense something.”

Laura looks around in confusion.  “What is it--”

“ _ USE YOUR PHOTO!!!! _ ” a voice echoes through the hall, making everyone jump.

Laura bunches up her face in confusion.  “Mel?”

“What the frilly hell?” Carmilla growls, pulling out her photo hesitantly.

“ _ SAY YOU WANT TO SEE LAFONTAINE. _ ”

Laura and Carmilla look at each other in disbelief.

 

Carmilla clears her throat.  “I… wish to see LaFontaine?”

The picture glows in her hand and suddenly they can see the other side of the door.  Sure enough, the red-haired Winged Monkey is glancing into a pink box, with Perry the Lion peering over their shoulder.

Mel also squints into the box before looking around her.  She locates where Carmilla’s picture is watching them. “ _ This isn’t creepy.  At all. _ ”

“How did you do that?” Laura asks.

Mel shrugs and points at LaFontaine.  “ _ They held up this box and started motioning at my mouth.  It was weird. Like a very, very boring game of Charades. With no prize at the end except to see you guys.  Yay, me _ ,” she says flatly.

 

“It’s a prototype,” Carmilla says.  “It was meant for Laura to be able to see me and hear me, but it wasn’t finished, yet.  I was still playing with the audio levels.”

“ _ Yeah, I think they wanted me to tell you to say that you wanted to see me, but I wasn’t about to tell some glowing magic box my name,”  _ Mel points out.

“Okaaaay,” Danny says.  “But we still have no way out of here.  Mattie has her sonic scream but doesn’t think it’s strong enough to blast through the door.”

LaFontaine and Perry perk up and start excitedly chattering and grunting at Mel, gesturing at some object out of view from the picture.

 

“ _ Alright!  Alright, I’m tel- Would you both calm down or I’m not telling them a damn thing _ \--” Mel annoyedly steps away from them.  “ _ LaFontaine is pointing at that fan they brought.  I assume they want to use that  _ with _ Mattie’s scream _ ?”

Carmilla mulls this over.  “That could work.”

 

They all stand back, with Laura giving Mattie an encouraging pat on the hoof.

“ _ Okay _ ,” Mel says on the other end as LaFontaine also gets into position with their fan. “ _ And… ...go! _ ”

Mattie clamps her eyes closed and opens her mouth wide, letting out a screech that shakes the air around her, the force flying forward into the door with a blast.  Everyone covers their ears, but Carmilla doesn’t seem affected, so she also covers Laura’s ears, holding her close.

 

Several seconds go by as the door shakes.  Finally, it collapses and crumbles to the ground in pieces.

LaFontaine stands on the other side, having taken to the air to avoid the blast.  They proudly and smugly hold up their fan, grinning when Perry applauds from the side.

Mel steps through with a sigh.  “Okay. Now, what?”

Laura and Carmilla look at each other.

“Now,” Laura says, taking a deep breath, “we go stop the… Wicked Wizard of Oz.”

 

* * *

 

“Uhm, Carm?”  Laura says once the team has split up to evacuate the Animals.  Laura and Carmilla had opted to look for the Wizard’s announcement booth that connects to the entire castle, as well as the city.

Carmilla turns to look back at Laura and checks her frantically.  “What? What’s wrong?”

Laura chuckles softly.  “No, nothing. I’m fine.  Well, I mean not  _ fine _ -fine, but I’m, y’know… alive.”

Carmilla visibly relaxes.  “When this is all over, we’ll get you a whole plate of those cookies.”

 

Laura laughs softly before she wrings her hands together nervously.  “It’s just… While I was locked in a cell with the Dean…”

Carmilla frowns.  “Yeah, sorry. That must’ve been awful.  She didn’t hurt you, did she?”

“Other than the shock stick, no,” Laura replies slowly.  “But we, uhh... Learned something.”

Laura stops walking and Carmilla stops as well, not pressing Laura until she’s ready.

 

She reaches out and touches Carmilla’s necklace, playing with the charm between her fingers.

“You were right.  About this charm fitting into something.”

Carmilla furrows her brows in confusion.

Laura takes a deep breath.  “It fits into the Dean’s broken necklace charm.”

“…What?”  Carmilla blinks, not understanding.  “Why would it do that?”

“It does that because…”  Laura forces herself to look Carmilla in the eyes as she swallows hard.  “She’s your mother.”

 

Carmilla stares at her for several seconds before snorting and continuing to walk.  “I think you caught my bad timing for jokes, cutie.”

“And just like you told me all those years ago in the attic here… I’m not joking.”  Laura sighs as she trails after her. “She was pregnant when she was trying to make the portal to go back to her world.  And then when the portal exploded, she was convinced she’d lost the baby. But she said everyone in proximity of the explosion died—except for her.  She assumed the blast had sent her flying into another room, but what if…”

Laura searches Carmilla’s face, but her expression remains unreadable.

“What if the fact that you were conceived in Oz by two parents from another world is what gave you the ability to teleport you and her away from the explosion?  And that’s why you’ve been able to cast magic without saying spells, and why you’re the only one who can read the grimoire that came out of that portal?”

 

Carmilla’s eyes widen.  “I… But… How does the necklace charm fit into this?”

“I think it broke during the explosion and you teleported off with it to safety to wherever you were found and put up for adoption. Sort of like when you teleported out after you got trapped with the whole… SJ thing.”

Carmilla clamps her eyes closed, her breathing shaky.

Laura carefully closes the gap between her and Carmilla, waiting as she seems to be letting the information sink in.

Finally, Carmilla mumbles something and Laura has to strain to hear it.

“ _ I guess I really am Wicked after all. _ ” 

 

Laura shakes her head immediately.  “Carm.  _ No _ .  No. You are the farthest thing from wicked.  You are a good, kind person.” She reaches for Carmilla’s hand.  “You really think all these Animals followed you here to rescue me just because of  _ me _ ?”  Laura shakes her head again.  “They’re here because of you, too.  Because of  _ us _ . Because we’re a team. Because they believe in us and what we’re doing.  Because we’ve found a way to show them kindness and acceptance for who they are, with no conditions and no reserve.”

She squeezes Carmilla’s hand.

“You and I are heroes.  We are the heroes in this story and I’ll be damned if I let the Dean or Vordenberg make you question that, for even a second.”

 

Carmilla chuckles, tears in her eyes.  “Oh, you’re not?”

Laura swallows hard. “I heard you, y’know.  Through the cold darkness.”

“Yeah, well, the Kirsches were all about learning proper public speaking.  I really know how to do it from my diaphragm,” Carmilla teases.

Laura narrows her eyes in a playful glare.  “Maybe  _ you _ should’ve been the ones giving those big public spee--”

Suddenly her knees go out and she almost falls, but Carmilla manages to rush forward and catch her.  They settle down on the steps while Laura holds her head.

 

Carmilla sits quietly for a while, removing her hat. After a while, Laura realizes it’s not a comfortable silence, so she turns so she can examine Carmilla.

“What?” Carmilla finally asks.

“I don’t know,” Laura says slowly.  “You tell me? What are you thinking about?”

Carmilla takes a deep breath.

 

“I was thinking...”  she swallows hard. “I was thinking I should turn myself in to Vordenberg in exchange for him letting you guys go free.  Maybe even ask for all the other Animals who already had Life Force drained from them to also go free. Save you.”

“ _ Give yourself up _ ?” Laura’s mouth drops open.  “Let Vordenberg use you for who knows what? No!”  She starts gesticulating wildly in a panic. “Is this because of finding out who your mother is?  Because I promise, you are nothing like her--”

“No, that’s not it.  Or, not just that.” Carmilla averts her gaze.  “It’s… Seeing you like that… Now all I can think about is losing you.  And if I did, I think I’d go mad.” She sniffles. “But if there’s a chance I can save you, the way you saved me all those years ago, the way you  _ keep _ saving me...”

Laura stares at Carmilla, tears forming.

“What about our life together? Our future? You’re just gonna give up on that?” she whispers.

 

Carmilla finally meets Laura’s eyes and sees the hurt in them.  “Laura, I’m not giving up on--”

“Coz we’re supposed to have arguments over who does dishes, and cupcakes to celebrate big days at work, and grandkids…  What is that going to look like if you’re being used in some other world by some crazy old man?”

Laura’s crying now and it breaks Carmilla’s heart.

 

The fight during Laura’s birthday comes rushing back, when Laura thought that maybe Carmilla didn’t want to be by her side and would even end things.

Carmilla shakes her head slightly.  “You think I don’t want those things, too?”

The question addresses Laura’s fear and she swallows hard.  “Please don’t give up on our life,” she whispers, like a prayer before looking away, tears streaming down her face.

 

For the past five years, Carmilla had been so busy lost in her own insecurities, wondering if Laura would no longer want to be with the  _ Wicked Witch _ , that it never occurred to her that Laura might be feeling some—if not, all-- of the same fear, too.

Also waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Also wondering if this was too good to be true.

 

“I’m not giving up,” Carmilla replies quietly. “But I can’t keep running away.  Not after what you’ve done for me.”

She gently places a finger under Laura’s chin and lifts it up so they can look at each other.

“I'm limited. Just look at me. I'm limited. And just look at you. You can do all I couldn't do. Laura…”   
“Don’t you dare.”  Laura shakes her head as she stands up slowly.  “Don’t you dare say that it’s up to me to do this for the both of us.  I’m limited, too. But together? Together, we’re unlimited. You aren’t going to do this alone.”

Carmilla’s face softens and she also rises as the pair begin to continue their search.  “I just… I can’t lose you. That was too close before. Even if all of Oz burns, I won’t lose you again. I can’t… watch you die. I love you.”  The hat slips from her fingers.

 

Laura shakes her head, more firmly this time.  She bends down and picks up the hat. “Well if that's love, it comes at much too high a cost.”

Carmilla swallows hard.  Laura regards her carefully as they walk in silence for a bit.

 

“Carm, that can’t be what we are to each other.  The Dean loved someone, and they died and now she’s burning down all of Oz.  All of this, the chaos, the misery, it’s because she’d rather pull apart the world at its seams than let go.  We can’t be like that.” 

She winces and leans against the wall for support and Carmilla rushes to her side.  

Laura smiles at her gratefully.  “We found each other, Carm,” she says.  “And, yeah, half the time I wanna strangle you.  But we’ve had kisses, and festivals, and stars, and dancing.  That’s so much more than nothing.”

Carmilla nods, silent but receptive.

“We need to show everyone that—together, alone,  _ whatever _ \-- everyone deserves the chance to fly.  If one of us doesn’t make it, the other one can’t end up like the Dean.  Mad and bitter and destroying everything we touch. I don’t want that to be our story.  Okay?” Laura sighs. “Our story is that we made each other better. So, we do this together.”

“Okay,” Carmilla says, her voice cracking from emotion.  “Okay. Together.” She chuckles. “Just like all those years ago when the Wicked Witch and Laura the Lovely were born.”

 

Laura’s eyes widen.  “That’s it.”

She grabs Carmilla and gives her a quick peck on the cheek, smirking as her grip on the pointed hat tightens.

“I know how we’ll stop Vordenberg.”

 

* * *

 

“Are we sure  _ all _ of my Corvae followers that defected from the palace guards are present?” Vordenberg asks, running final checks on the machine.

Will nods.  “And they’re all covering the exits for any Animal trying to leave.”

Vordenberg grins, clasping his hands together in glee.  “Most excellent. You and Mister Straka go and find that green freak and her mistaken lover and make sure they don’t interfere with my plans.”

Will and Theo descend the ladder from the attic, chattering in excitement about the gun and how many Animals they can shoot with it.

“Finally, some peace and quiet,” Vordenberg grumbles.

 

A couple minutes pass before a set of footsteps echo back up the ladder and he sighs.

“Yes, yes, if you find the witch with the girl, you can shoot the girl.  Just leave the witch unscathed,” he says dismissively, keeping his back turned.

“That’s kinda rude of you to say,” a female voice snaps, making him turn in surprise.  “I thought we actually hit it off when your house dropped into Oz.”

Vordenberg sneers at the source.  “Miss Hollis.” He glances behind her.  “Wicked Witch.”

Laura crosses her arms.  “We’re not letting you start that machine.”

 

Vordenberg waves his hand at her dismissively as he steps away from his machine and pulls out a device with a button on the side.

He presses it and there’s a small beep.

“William, Mister Straka, please return to the attic.  We have some guests up here,” he says into it. “Over.”

A few seconds pass before Theo’s voice comes through.  “ _ Roger.  Over. _ ”

“It’s called a walkie talkie,” Vordenberg says.

“I don’t care what it’s called,” Laura says.  “They’re not gonna be able to help you complete your plan.”

 

He narrows his eyes at her.  “I’ll give you this—I did not plan for this. The fact that you’re standing at all is quite some miracle.  Your whole body must be aching from pain. Ready to give out at any moment. You should be dead.”

Carmilla looks over at Laura in concern, but Laura remains standing tall.  “And you never should’ve come to Oz.”

 

Theo and Will make it up the ladder, the former eagerly training the gun on Laura.

“It really was sweet that you both came here to stop me together,” Vordenberg sneers.  “Predictable, but sweet.” He turns his attention back to the machine while Theo’s gun aim holds the girls in place.

The roof above them opens up as a mechanism loudly clanks within the walls.  The night sky soon becomes totally visible.

 

Laura looks at Theo, clenching her jaw.  “You can blame Carm for your life all you want, but the truth is regardless of whether you’d been adopted into a wealthy family, you would’ve turned out rotten to the core.”

Theo scoffs.  “It’s like you  _ want _ me to shoot you.”

“Well, you’re so easily manipulated that you’re pretty predictable,” Laura comments.

Theo’s nostrils flare and his grip on the gun tightens.  “Oh, yeah?” He walks over to a work bench, places his gun on top, and reaches under it.

Before anyone can react, Theo brings a bucket back and swings it forward, splashing water all over Carmilla.

Vordenberg lunges forward and smacks the bucket out of Theo’s hands, too late.

 

Laura’s eyes widen as smoke appears above Carmilla. “Carm!” she gasps in horror.

Carmilla yelps as more smoke appears.  “You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting,” she growls at Theo. “ _ Melting _ . Oh, what a  _ world _ ,” she snaps dryly.

Laura reaches out just as Carmilla disintegrates before her very eyes, before she even has a chance to fully react to what’s happening.

“C-Carm?” she mumbles to the steaming spot on the floor.  All that remains is the pointed hat.

 

She turns to Vordenberg and Theo, mouth open in shock.  “What did you do?” she whispers in horror.

Vordenberg growls and hits Theo on the back of the head.  “You! You used all of the water I specifically told you was meant to be used to  _ torture _ the witch!  You’ve  _ ruined _ \--”

 

“ _ Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3, _ ” a voice echoes through the entire castle.  “ _ Testing.  Is this thing on? _ ”

Vordenberg gapes at Laura.  “H-How… how is she…?”

Laura grins and picks the hat off the ground.  “Well, Vordie. Maybe someday you’ll stop monologuing for five seconds to realize when you’re being played.  Or at the very least, realize when only one of the people standing in front of you is speaking. And when the other one is a projection.”

She flips the hat so he can see inside it.

“Carm’s been working on a smaller mobile version of the device she was using to project herself around Oz and put it into the hat, which she enchanted to float on its own.  Still no audio, though. Which was fine coz, I always was the more distracting talker.” She waves the hat tauntingly. “She’s just watching on her magic picture for cues. Too bad when Theo wasted your  _ entire _ weapon like that, all it did was break the device.”

 

Vordenberg snarls and his eyes dart to the gun on the workbench.  Laura gets to it first, swiftly putting it into her pants rear pocket and taking several paces back before he can go for it.

“We don’t have time for this,” he declares, whirling to face Will and Theo.  “At least now we know where the witch is. The coward is hiding in the Wizard’s booth.  Go find her and bring her to me!”

They start to leave and Laura continues to look smug.  “Not grace under pressure, are you?”

 

He turns to face her, grabbing them to halt them, fury in his eyes.  “ _ What _ ?”

“She’s not  _ hiding _ there,” Laura says slowly.  “I’m not Plan A.  _ She _ is.  Like I said, I was just the distraction.”

 

“ _ Okay, now that I know I’m reaching the entire castle with this message and have put some other things into place—hi, everyone, _ ” Carmilla’s voice comes through.  She clears her throat. “ _ The Wizard has been captured and Laura has been rescued.  But there’s a bigger problem. A crazy old man who flew to Oz in a house is trying to take this entire castle to another world to experiment on and sell off Animals.  Everyone  _ needs _ to evacuate  _ immediately _.  Laura and I are going to keep the old man from doing this for as long as we can. _ ”

Laura pulls the gun out of her pocket and aims it at Vordenberg.  She has no intent of shooting him, but he seems frozen in place away from the machine regardless.

 

“ _ There will be guards at the exits trying to stop you from leaving.  But there’s more of you guys than there are them. Especially now that Laura’s bought us enough time for me to summon Ginger again to bring reinforcements. _ ”  There’s a smug pause from Carmilla.  “ _ Oh?  Do you hear that? _ ”

Laura smirks, being able to imagine Carmilla sarcastically cupping her hand over her ear.

“ _ That would be all the palace guards who did  _ not _ defect to your Corvae Corps, Vordie.  Think your guys can handle the dozens of Animals roaming the halls in addition to their own guys? _ ”

Vordenberg’s eyes widen and finally unfreezes.  He shoves Will and Theo. “Get out there and stop my fuel source from leaving!”

Will stares at him, bewildered.  “How? We’re severely outnumbered—”

“FIND. A WAY,” Vordenberg roars at them.

Will and Theo grudgingly make themselves scarce, clearly having no intention of completing the task at hand.

 

Vordenberg seems oblivious to this as he whirls to face Laura, who seems increasingly disturbed by the man becoming unhinged before her.  “YOU!”

He steps towards her.

“You’re gonna pay for this.”

 

* * *

 

Carmilla turns off the broadcasting device in the Wizard’s booth and looks at her magic photo.  Will and Theo have just run out of the room, very obviously hoping to escape the guards she’s asked Ginger to bring here.  Now it’s just Laura and Vordenberg.

 

Laura watches him warily, still not willing to pull the trigger on the gun.

Vordenberg looks up to the night sky, doing his best to address Carmilla.  “ _ You green creature!  I will not stand for this!” _

Laura looks nervous at how unpredictable his antics are becoming.  “ _ Look, if you just… calm down… turn the machine off and agree to come with us peacefully… _ ”

Vordenberg offers no warning before he dives at her with another syringe in hand, plunging it deep into her neck.

 

Laura shoves him off her, stumbling backwards as the gun clatters to the floor.  “ _ Wha-What… _ ”  She stumbles and falls with a grunt.  “ _ What did you… do… to me? _ ”

Carmilla watches in horror as he stares down at Laura, eyes cold.  “ _ Since that first injection didn’t do its job, maybe this one will. _ ”

Vordenberg looks up again.   _ “You can run, but you can’t hide.  Or maybe you will, and be a coward as Miss Hollis suffers the consequences.  Just as she has been since your stint as the Witch began.” _

 

Laura gasps weakly, clinging onto consciousness.  “ _ The only coward here… is you.  Carm is the bravest person I know. _ ”

 

But at that moment, Carmilla doesn’t feel brave.

She feels nothing but overwhelming fear.

Before she knows what’s happening, she feels her head spin and her body flung across space until she’s looking down at Laura, crumpled and trembling on the ground.

“C-Carm,” Laura whispers.  “No… Get outta here…”

Carmilla shakes her head and kneels beside Laura.  “No. I’m not running away. I’m here. With you.”

Laura’s eyes droop closed and Carmilla lets out a sob.

 

“Foolish and sentimental,” Vordenberg spits out.  He grabs Carmilla by the arm and forces her to her feet, dragging her towards the machine.  “It’s done preparing. You will now channel the Life Force through it and teleport this castle.”

Carmilla stares at him numbly.

“You have nothing else to live for.”  He gestures at the machine. “Do it. Now.”

 

Carmilla’s hands clench into fists at her side.  “No.”

He quirks an eyebrow.  “What?”

“I said, ‘no,’” she growls in his face.  “Laura and I didn’t spend the past five years together helping people just for you to carelessly toss them aside as a commodity.  Their lives matter. They’re people who deserve to live a life and accomplish their dreams. As someone told me lately… ‘Everyone deserves the chance to fly.’”  She stands her ground. “So, no.”

 

Vordenberg lets her go and scoffs.  “They’re monsters,” he declares, stepping away in disgust.

“Yeah, and you call me a monster, too,” Carmilla comments.  “I’m not helping you.”

He nods, suddenly an eerie calm.  Then, he bends down and picks up the gun Laura had dropped and aims it at Carmilla.  “Then I guess it’s time to cut my losses and  _ slay _ the monster.  That witch-goat Miss Belmonde is another option.”

 

He pulls the trigger.

 

There’s a ripple in the air and Carmilla frowns when it feels both unfamiliar and familiar at the same time.

The bullet never hits her.  Rather, it hits a cookie.

Vordenberg and Carmilla both stare at the cookie as it falls to the ground, a bullet lodged into it.

 

“Like hell you will,” a weak voice murmurs from behind him.  He and Carmilla look at Laura, both in surprise.

Vordenberg finds his voice first.  “H-How…”

“I closed my eyes.  Trusted my Instincts.  And leapt,” Laura replies, ignoring the poppy burning in her veins.  “And my instincts told me to save Carmilla.”

“Decades of murder and discrimination, and you save my life with a fricking cookie,” Carmilla chuckles.

 

Vordenberg shakes his head in disbelief, then in anger.  He grabs Carmilla and presses the gun to her temple. “Stop  _ this _ .”

Before Laura can stop herself, images flash through her mind.

 

Of Vordenberg pulling the trigger.

Of Carmilla falling to the ground, lifeless.

Of all the Animals they’ve saved being herded off to some other world, where they’ll be enslaved or experimented on.

Of the entire world she’s fought to save, up in flames.

Of sitting at Carmilla’s grave.  A failure.

 

Fear takes over.  Fear—an emotion Laura never let herself feel.

Even when her father crashed the courage and it caught fire and she knew she had to save him.

Even when she and her mom went flying off the road in a carriage.

Even when her father told her they had to lie to all of Oz about what really happened.

Even when the Wizard sent palace guards to hunt down her and Carmilla and threatened their entire future.

Even when the effects of the poppy kicked in and the chilling cold seeped its way through her body.

She faced it all with forced bravery.

 

But the idea of losing Carmilla like this?

It made her afraid.

 

And just as she did moments before, she gave into the instinct to save Carmilla—no matter what.

 

That’s when she feels it.

 

It starts as a tingle in her hands that shoots up her arms.  A second sensation begins at the core of her heart, radiating strength outwards.  And the final part starts in her brain.

All she can see is Carmilla.  Her soul mate, her roommate-turned-lover.

And Vordenberg, the monster from another world who flew here in a house.

 

_ The house _ .

 

Laura channels all of her energy at the house she can see unnaturally clearly in her mind.

And as it comes into full view behind her closed eyes, she suddenly becomes very aware of the other person in front of her.

 

Vordenberg gets ready to pull the trigger when the earlier ripple in the air is felt again, at a much stronger multitude.  Deciding not to take a chance, he starts to fire the gun.

Then Laura’s eyes snap open, and she slowly looks up.  Carmilla and Vordenberg do the same.

Vordenberg gapes up as the house he’d arrived in to Oz is suddenly hovering above him in the night sky.  He shoves Carmilla aside and uses the momentum to scramble for cover, but it’s obviously too late as the house comes crashing down on top of them.

 

Laura dives to the side and the house lands in the castle attic, narrowly missing the time machine, going through the floorboards, and halting only after the beams hold it up—barely.

 

She rushes to her feet and peers through the rubble with bated breath.

“Well, that was a rush,” a voice says above her as the dust settles.

 

Laura lets out a long sigh of relief.  “Oh, thank goodness.”

Carmilla slowly drifts to the ground, hopping off her broomstick.  “Not that I’m not grateful, hon, but… how did my broom stick sweep me out from under that house?  Hell, how did that house even appear?”

Laura swallows hard.  “For all my talk about trusting my instincts—Mattie was right earlier.  All I’ve ever done is make plans and plans for my plans. I listened to those around me instead of just doing something without some kind of contingency.”  She reaches out for Carmilla’s hand. “But… When I thought he was going to kill you… I didn’t care. I just wanted to save you.”

Carmilla smile sadly at her.  “Speaking as the person you just saved, and on behalf of the dozens of Animals whose lives he didn’t give a flying crap about… you did the right thing.”

Laura sniffles, the guilt clearly already taking its toll on her.  “Yeah?”

Carmilla nods.  “Yes.”

 

Laura huffs a sobbed laugh.  “Mattie’s gonna be so mad that after five years, the only lesson I was missing to be able to perform a spell was Lesson Number One.”

Carmilla pulls her in for a hug and kisses the top of her head.  “We really are the perfect team.”

Laura nuzzles her face in and sighs happily.  “Not disagreeing, but what makes you say that?”

“I can teleport myself and you can teleport other objects,” Carmilla replies.

“Oh.”

Laura pulls away and gives her a devilish smile, leading to a confused look from Carmilla.  “What?”

 

“That’s gonna make it  _ so much  _ easier to cheat at games.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to leave a comment below to chat! Plus you can always also hit me up on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/). The story's on Wattpad [here](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine).  
> Any stuff related to this fic is tagged on my tumblr under "[#Wicked AU"](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/search/wicked-au). LAST update next Friday. Feels will be had.  
> And as always-- Stay awesome <3


	27. For Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to upload this last night but some unexpected plans came up and by the time I got home I wouldn't have been able to write a proper farewell note for this story at the end of this fic, and that didn't feel fair to you guys.  
> So. Here we are.  
> Enjoy!

There’s a knock on the front door and Carmilla harrumphs from her blanket burrito nap on the couch.

Laura sighs and gets up from the kitchen counter.  “Gee, which one of us got injected with a lethal amount of poppy, again?” she teases.

Carmilla’s head pops up from under the blankets, a pout in full force.  “Wait, you’re right, I’ll answer the—”

She fails to untangle herself from her blanket as she stands up, and falls down.

“Mmm, you’re lucky I didn’t fall in love with you for your gracefulness,” Laura replies, giggling when she’s met with a glare among a pile of blankets as she heads for the door.

 

Carmilla teleports in front of her and Laura’s mouth drops open in offense.  “Cheater!”

She and Carmilla run for the door and both grab the door knob, turning it together at the same time with laughter.

Both of their faces drop at the sight of the visitor.

“Damn.  Should’ve left your ass to freeze out there,” Carmilla grumbles, crossing her arms and glaring at the Dean.

“You’d better not,” Mattie growls from behind the Dean.  “Or I’m gonna second-guess my decision to be courteous and not have Ginger teleport Mommie Dearest into the middle of your living room.”

 

Carmilla chuckles and steps aside to let them in.

“Nice to see you’re still not in an eternal coma,” Mattie comments to Laura.

“Trying very hard not to be,” Laura replies.  “Nice to see you talking in full sentences.”

Mattie laughs and she looks at her and Carmilla gratefully.

 

Before sentimentality gets the best of her, she lets out an overdramatic sigh and clasps her hands together.  “Well. The Dean’s full confession yesterday in Emerald City to the Ozians is being broadcast across the land in every castle, hall, and school.  And Laura’s testimony for Carmilla’s innocence and non-wickedness afterwards, too, of course. If anyone was skeptical that the _Wonderful Wizard of Oz_ was a crazy schemer, Laura’s earnest words and beloved reputation throughout the land put any doubt to rest.  So we should be done with damage control.”

 

Laura and Carmilla look at the Dean expectedly.

 

“Before I… go,” the Dean says slowly, “I know that what I’ve done is unforgiveable.  And I don’t have any excuses, or…” She sighs. “I guess that’s why this punishment is so fitting.”

Laura and Carmilla share a look and Laura clears her throat.  “We’re not absolving anything you’ve done. There is no forgiving it or excusing it. But we spoke about it and I guess, given all you’d gone through… W-we can understand how you were driven to this point.”

The Dean visibly relaxes, albeit for a moment.  “Right. Well.”

“She’s giving me too much credit,” Carmilla grumbles.  “That’s all _her_ belief.”

She swallows hard and looks at Carmilla.  “My greatest regret before my punishment is exacted is never having known you.  And for cursing you with this skin that I used to sow hatred and fear against you.”  She produces a small vial from her pocket. “It’s a mixture I’ve created with the help of that Flying Monkey that should turn your skin color back to normal.”

 

“Actually… I do have one question,” Laura says awkwardly.  “Why _is_ Carm’s skin green?  Is that a thing in your world?”

The Dean laughs, this one sounding more sincere than all the others.  “Oh, dear. I thought it was quite obvious.”

Laura and Carmilla look at each other and shrug as the Dean pulls out her broken necklace pendant.

“This used to be green.  It got a bit charred after the explosion, but before that, it was a gorgeous emerald green.”

Carmilla’s mouth drops open.  “ _That_ ’s why?”  She huffs in annoyance.  “Why couldn’t you be wearing like, a brown gemstone?”

Laura giggles and gives Carmilla a peck on the cheek.  “I think that shade of green is pretty beautiful.”

Carmilla blushes a bit and rolls her eyes with a small smile.

 

“Well, now we can… de-greenify you.”  The Dean clears her throat and hands the vial to Carmilla, who looks down at it. Her stare lasts several seconds, and no one speaks.

“Thanks,” she eventually says slowly.  She swallows hard and hands it back to the Dean.  “But my skin is already normal. Normal for me. Which is—finally-- good enough for me.”  She and Laura share a knowing smile and the Dean carefully takes the vial back.

“You’re sure?”

Carmilla nods.  “Definitely.”

 

“I know I have no right to be, but… I’m even more proud of you now.”  The Dean sighs. “I’m just glad you two found each other.”

Carmilla frowns.  “Not that I don’t agree, but—why?”

 

“Well, I do give you credit for being as strong and capable as you are by your own right, my dear.”  The Dean looks back and forth between them as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “But you two build each other up and complement each other.  You’re not just sharing half of what is each other’s, you’re building on what belongs to both of you. Hell, even your powers are Ying and Yang. Truly, The Greatest Team There Ever Was.”

Laura giggles.  “So I guess this is the best mother-in-law approval I’ll get.”

“Miss Hollis, I worked alongside you for half a decade.  Under questionable ulterior motives on both sides, of course, but… I’ll leave here knowing my daughter is an amazing woman, who’s got an amazing woman standing beside her.  And I apologize again for all I’ve done to wrong… to everyone.”

 

She pauses awkwardly.

“Well, now that I’ve sufficiently out-saccharined myself, let’s get this going, right?”

Carmilla shifts her weight back and forth uncomfortably.  “This will work, right?”

The Dean nods.  “The logic is sound. We have the Life Force I’ve already extracted.  You’ve found a way to, albeit slowly, teach Animals to speak again. Since we’re just sending one person back and not the entire house, we can just use the original device I came here in. Carmilla just has to transfer the Life Force into the machine.  And, uhm, not explode everyone in the vicinity.”

Carmilla seems to visibly pale at the thought.

 

“Well, we went to get the water you asked for,” Laura chimes in brightly, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water.  “From the Fountain of Oblivion. With that ominous plaque on it that reads, ‘ _anyone who drinks from it forgets everything they know, including their own name._ ’”

She looks at the Dean apprehensively.

“Once you drink this, we’ll return you home.  You won’t remember anything about Oz, or, uhm, anything that happened here, or what you lost by coming here,” Laura explains.

“Yes, well.  Tabula rasa and all that,” the Dean says.  “Won’t remember that I lost a lover or… gained a daughter.”  Carmilla averts her gaze. “Or that I _could’ve_ gained one.”

 

Laura gives Carmilla a gentle, soft pat on the arm and Carmilla takes a deep breath, slowly meeting the Dean’s eyes.

“Goodbye… mother.”

The Dean gives her a small warm but sad smile and takes the bottle from Laura, handing over her pendant in return.  “Ding dong, the Wicked Wizard is dead. If losing my child led to her finding more pure happiness than she ever would have with me, then… maybe I was wrong about it being miracles...  Maybe it’s love. _Love_ will have its sacrifices.”

Carmilla swallows hard and takes the pendant from Laura.

 

The Dean takes a small swig first, then chugs the bottle before wincing.

Her eyes roll back and she collapses onto the couch.

 

Mattie summons Ginger, who takes all of them to the attic in the Wizard’s castle. Laura hands Ginger a cookie with a wink.

Papa Hollis is there, watching over some Animals helping clear the house out piece by piece.  He’s also started warming up the Dean’s device. All it needs now is the power source.

 

Carmilla gulps.  “Wh-What if it doesn’t work?”

“It will,” Mattie replies, exasperatedly.

“What if it explodes?  If all those witches couldn’t move the energy properly, how could _I_ possibly—”

Laura frowns and steps closer to Carmilla.  “We can do it together?”

Carmilla looks at her, slightly skeptical.

“The girl’s been staying up late studying the spell,” Mattie explains with a long sigh to disguise her look of immense pride. “She kept teleporting me to your house at all hours, panicking that she wasn’t understanding the spell—even though she _was_.”

Mattie glares at Laura, who laughs sheepishly.

“I can do the spell with you,” Laura repeats to Carmilla.  “…Surprise?”

Carmilla visibly relaxes and nods.

 

They join hands, standing between the machine and the containers holding the glowing energy.  Carmilla squeezes Laura’s hand and closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. Laura gives her a peck on the cheek and then does the same.

“ _Ambulahn Dare Industria Industrium Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Vita Vita Caldapess,_ ” they chant seamlessly in unison, “ _Ambulahn Dare Industria Industrium Ambulahn Dasca Caldapess Lahfenahto Lahfenahtum Vita Vita Caldapess._ ”

 

The containers glow more intensely and there’s a loud hum as the glow moves along some ropes holding the machine down, traveling up into the machine, igniting a small flame within it.

 

Carmilla frowns as something begins to heat up in her pocket.  Suddenly, it _burns_ and she winces, pulling it out and dropping it.  There’s a loud crackle of energy and a flash of light.

Laura covers her eyes until there’s a snap and the light fades a bit.  She peers through her fingers and gasps. The thing burning Carmilla had been the pieces from Carmilla and the Dean’s pendant.

The two parts return together, glowing green for a moment before returning to its former calmer emerald shade, its crack gone.

“Whoa,” Laura breathes, handing the whole pendant to Carmilla.  “See? Beautiful shade.”

 

Carmilla smiles at her lovingly before staring down at it in wonder and carefully putting it on.

 

LaFontaine is standing by the controls and begins pressing buttons.  “Will send her back to Canada,” they say while Kirsch, Danny, and Mel drag the Dean towards the device.  “Better chance someone could recognize her there.”

Laura smiles at them speaking in almost full sentences, as well.

Perry waits until the Dean is secure in the device’s carrier and delicately places a large basket down.

“What is that?” Mattie asks.

“Care package,” Perry replies shyly.  “She’s going back to a place where she won’t have any memories and probably won’t have anyone at all.  It’s just some food and blankets and extra clothes.”

Mattie rolls her eyes.  “This woman terrorized our people for decades.”

“I think if after wiping her slate clean, the first act she’s exposed to is one of kindness, then it could make all the difference,” Laura offers, making Perry smile.

 

“Okay, LaFontaine.  I think we’re ready now?” Perry asks.

Mattie, Carmilla, and Laura all nod.  Laura quietly takes Carmilla’s hand and gives it a squeeze.

LaFontaine pulls one last lever and a bunch of ropes holding the device down snap, setting the device free as the giant ensemble drifts away through the air.

After a few moments, a large portal opens above it and it floats through, disappearing as the portal closes.

 

“What was that huge thing even called?” Laura asks.

LaFontaine squints down at the Dean’s old notes in concentration.  “She called it a trans-dimensional… ‘hot… air… balloon.’”

 

* * *

 

**ONE YEAR LATER**

 

“You’re late,” Mattie growls when Laura and Carmilla stumble into the meeting room.

“Traffic,” Carmilla lies unconvincingly.

Mattie rolls her eyes and Danny makes a gagging gesture.  Kirsch laughs and Papa Hollis looks like he’s stifling a chuckle.

Laura sheepishly slides into a seat.

 

“ _Anyway_ ,” Mattie says pointedly, “I thought you two would like to know we officially have an opening date for our school.”

Laura’s eyes widen as Carmilla sits in a chair beside her.  “We do?!”

Mattie nods.  “One month from today.  Just gotta push the last safety inspections through.  Can’t have little bite-sized kiddies being crushed by falling beams at the Quadling Hollstein-Belmonde Hall of Higher Learning, can we?”

“I still don’t understand why you get your full name in there and we don’t,” Carmilla grumbles.  “The name’s already long enough that a few more letters can’t hurt.”

Kirsch beams at her.  “Because you two are The Greatest Team There Ever Was.  Not to mention the Most Popular Couple in Oz. ‘Hollstein’ is light and casual.”

“To hell with light and casual,” Carmilla snaps.

“I think it’s cute,” Laura mumbles.

Carmilla huffs.  “Fine.”

 

“Whiiiiiipped,” Mattie taunts.

Carmilla crosses her arms and narrows her eyes in a glare.

Danny gives a smug grin and flips a page in front of her over.  “Second matter is that Will and Theo are now being transferred from Gillikin Country to Winkie Country.  The new governor elected there is a Lion. She figures this will be a good morale booster to her Animal constituents and a… gentle reminder that LaFontaine figured out a way to take away human’s ability to speak as punishment for their severe hate crimes, once voted on by a jury of 50% humans and 50% Animals.”

“They were a big hit at the Gillikin Country Zoo,” Sherman points out.  “And it helps that the Animal community has come together to take the high road and not treat people the way they’ve been treated.”  He smiles proudly at Laura and Carmilla. “With making sure schools all across Oz continue to show the Dean’s confession about her inhumane treatment of Animals, and Laura’s speech about accepting Carmilla in spite of her skin color… We’re well on our way to a peaceful Oz.”

 

Mattie nods.  “Now, Laura—your father and I wanted to ask how you would feel about teaching the intro class for magic-wielders who have had powers since birth and have them realized later in life.  We’d have Carmilla do it, but she’s… uhm…”

Carmilla raises an eyebrow.

“A snotty brat,” Mattie finishes.

Laura frowns in confusion.  “But I haven’t had powers since birth.  Only since, like, a year ago.”

Mattie narrows her eyes at her.  “Just how dense are you? You’ve always had powers.”

Sherman clenches his jaw and she backs down.

 

He clears his throat.  “Sweetheart, remember that time I crashed the wagon and it caught on fire?”

Laura nods slowly.

“The amount of water we had with us was definitely not enough to put it out.  So…” he swallows hard. “After that incident, I checked. There are no bodies of water nearby.  No wells. Just miles of forest before the town. And it’s not like you could’ve run anywhere and back.”

Laura’s eyes widen.  “You think when I was that _young_ I teleported water to the wagon and put out the fire?”

Mattie lets out a long sigh and nods.  “Yes _._ ”

 

Danny glances up at Laura.  “If the Dean hadn’t done what she did to your mom, she probably could’ve helped you realize this sooner.  Learn magic sooner.”

Laura looks around the table slowly and inhales deeply.

“I guess. …But then maybe we’d all still be dealing with the Dean, or Vordenberg.  Maybe I wouldn’t be me. Here. Now. With all of you guys, making Oz better.”

Papa Hollis grins at Laura.  “She would be so, so proud of you, kiddo.  I know I am.”

Laura sniffles and gives him a watery smile.  “Thanks, dad.”

Carmilla puts a hand over Laura’s and gives it a squeeze-- not saying anything, knowing she doesn’t have to.  Laura leans her head on Carmilla’s shoulder.

 

The rest of the meeting flies by in conversations about budgets and schedules, numbers and speeches.

Kirsch and Carmilla are the first to leave once Kirsch mentions he’s finally found enough presents to make up for missing five of Carmilla’s birthdays.

“He may or may not have gifted her an entire wagon of beer kegs,” Danny grumbles before sighing.  “Dammit, I forgot to tip the driver. Gotta go chase after them before they get mad and declare they’re not shipping any more beer for Governor Kirsch.  He’d never stop crying.” She clutches her chest dramatically. “ _But, D-Bear! My really rad batch of pilsner!_ ”

Laura giggles and bends down to hug her.  “See you tomorrow?”

Danny grins and heads out the door.  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Hollis.”

 

Sherman checks the time.  “I have to go meet J.P. interview some more teachers for your school.”

“Our school,” Laura correct.

He shakes his head.  “This was all you and Carmilla and Mattie, bringing everyone in Oz together.  I’m just the head of the political science department.” Offering a warm smile, he steps closer to her.  “Also I found a little present for you. I think you’ll get a kick out of it.” He hands her a small envelope.  “I’ll see you tomorrow, kiddo.”

 

Laura looks at it in confusion for a couple seconds before she opens the envelope.  Her eyes widen in realization and she starts laughing. “Oh man, Carm is gonna love this.”  She starts to stand and leave Mattie. “I should probably go make sure Kirsch and Carm aren’t having some ill-conceived beer chugging competi—”

“Sit down.”

Laura frowns but does as told.  “Everything okay?”

 

“I didn’t like you when I first met you,” Mattie admits bluntly, as if she has to get the words out as quickly as possible.  “Which was weird because I liked your mom when she was my student. She knew right from wrong and went with her gut and it’s what made her such an apt magic-user.  And I _knew_ you were Eileen and Sherman Hollis’s daughter, but I didn’t care.  All I saw was a girl so desperate to help that she was willing to do an entire upheaval of a system I’d learned to manipulate to stay alive.”

Laura clenches her jaw.

“But then I saw you stand up for Carm, not because you thought she needed your help, or because you thought you’d get something out of it, but because you knew it was right to do something.   _That_ was when I realized that this complacency that had befallen Shiz and Oz as a whole needed someone like you.  Someone willing to blow the entire system up and rebuild with her billions of plans.”

Mattie lets out a dry chuckle and shakes her head.

“At first when you and Carm told me about this plan to hide the Animals facing hate crimes on your land, I thought it was a mistake.”

“Yeah.  You said we had half a year to prove it worked before you sold us out to the Wizard,” Laura recalls.

 

Mattie smirks.  “Which I was totally planning on doing, by the way.”  Then her expression turns serious. “One day when I was dropping some magic items off for Carm to tinker with, neither of you were around.  Probably to go be gross K-I-S-S-I-N-G in the trees somewhere.”

Laura rolls her eyes, amused.

“So I got to snooping and went out to see how you were treating my people.”  Mattie crosses her arms. “I was expecting maybe, I dunno, a ghetto. Poor living conditions.  Large groups of Animals in cramped living spaces. The entire community sectioned off by species.”

She lets out a long sigh.

“Instead, I found them intermingling.  Older children reading to the younger ones.  Cooks sharing recipes. Parents babysitting for each other.  Kids playing games and sports. The elderly sitting around and trading stories about their different yet somehow similar experiences.”  Mattie uncrosses her arms and leans forward, her face gentle and her eyes kind. “Do you remember what I told you the halls of Shiz were like before the famine of Munchkin Country?”

Laura nods slowly.  “You said you could see Animals reciting poetry, and doing math, or speaking about philosophy.  By the time I got there, there were barely any Animals students left at all.”

 

“I’ve been around for a long time.  I saw Shiz go from a thriving example of acceptance, to watching an Animal community flounder under scrutiny.  Any Animal not rolling over and taking poor treatment was politically and socially ostracized. I watched my family and friends give in and get walked all over-- stripped of their stature, cast aside from the esteemed positions they’d worked their whole lives for. The community did not support itself, and it was collapsing.  And I could not stand beside that.” Mattie looks Laura over. “You gave the Animal community a place to learn how to rebuild itself, and support itself. You and Carm.”

Laura offers a small smile.

“And now those same Animals who you offered protection to, I see thriving all around Oz.  I truly wasn’t sure if you’d keep them in a segregated community from the humans, but over those five years you gave them the tools to rely on themselves, and on each other.  I never…” Mattie’s voice cracks and she clears her throat. “I never thought I’d see this happen in my lifetime.”

She stands up and places a hand on Laura’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze.

 

“During those five years where you couldn’t cast a single spell, I was ready to throttle you.  I asked the universe why I was cursed to try and teach magic to someone who clearly had no magic abilities.”  Mattie gives a warm laugh. “But I should’ve seen you were doing magic with every Animal touched by your life.  Including me.”

Laura beams at her.  “Thanks, Mattie.”

 

Mattie narrows her eyes in a glare.  “But tomorrow you’re still gonna be quizzed on that latest grimoire I gave you.  You’re still my worst student.”

Laura pouts.  "But your only other student is Carm."

"No excuses, Laura Hollis.  Now get going," Mattie says dismissively, with a warm smile and a warmer embrace.

 

* * *

 

Laura frowns when she steps out of the Emerald City Castle and finds it’s raining.

She makes it one step out the door before there’s a sound of another umbrella opening above her.  Beaming, Laura glances up, then at the person holding it.

“Don’t want you to melt in the rain,” Carmilla teases as they start walking.

“That’s not a thing,” Laura replies with a giggle.  "I don't think that water would've even melted a real witch.  Mattie made me read a book about how the only written account of witches melting from water was because it was cursed by some enchantress who specifically did a spell for water to melt those particular witches.  Vordenberg's plan was crazy in every way."

Carmilla grins.  “Well, at least after all this, we found out why _I_ never melt.”

“Yep,” Laura says brightly.  “We solved that mythtery.”  
“Ya killin’ me, Hollis. I’m making you walk home alone in the rain,” Carmilla growls playfully, making Laura laugh.

 

Someone loudly clears their throat behind them.  “Excuse me, your Grossness-es.”

Laura turns and chuckles.  “Hi, Mel.” Her smile widens.  “And who’s this?”

“Emily,” a small munchkin girl replies shyly.

Laura cocks her head to the side, turning her attention back to Mel.  “Isn’t this Charlotte’s little sister?” she asks slyly.

Mel actually blushes and Emily’s eyes widen.  “You know my sister?”

Laura nods.  “Yes, she’s a friend I’ve known since she was in the Summer Society in Shiz.”

“Whoa,” Emily gasps, staring with mouth agape.

 

Mel nudges her gently.  “Didn’t you have something to ask?”

Emily closes her mouth and swallows hard.  She removes her backpack and pulls out a mini toy broom, which has been sold around Oz ever since the Dean and Laura revealed that Carmilla isn’t wicked, after all.  She also pulls out a marker. “Uhm, can… can I p-please have your… can you sign this?” she asks shyly. “Both of you?”

Carmilla’s eyes widen and Laura grins, gesturing for her to go first.  “You heard the young lady!”

When it’s obvious that Carmilla is still in shock, Laura giggles and takes the broom and marker.  She signs it slower than usual to stall for Carmilla. Finally, she hands it over and Carmilla’s eyes skim Laura’s message.  She smiles and signs it, visibly relaxing.

Laura and Carmilla watch as Emily takes it carefully, her eyes slowly sweeping over the words written on the broomstick.

 

“ _Trust your instincts, close your eyes, and leap! – Yours, Laura the Lovely._ ”

“ _Be Wicked. -The Wonderful Witch of the West._ ”

 

Emily hyperventilates in excitement and looks up at them, tears in her eyes.  “I _LOVE_ it! Thank you!! C-Can I get a hug?”

Laura nods eagerly and Carmilla mumbles a surprised, “Y-Yes.”

 

Emily squeals and dives forward, managing to pull them both in for a tight squeeze.  Laura laughs and hugs Emily back with one arm, while Carmilla awkwardly pats her.

They release her and Emily bounces back excitedly.  “You guys are my heroes! Thank you!” She turns to face Mel, beaming at her.  “I’ll definitely tell Charlotte you’ll make a great girlfriend!”

She skips away and Mel stands there, taken aback for a moment.

 

“W-Wait!  Wait! No!  Th-That’s not--”

Laura laughs even harder at that and Mel growls at her.

“Can it, Hollis. UGH!  I hate kids.”

Mel’s face softens, if only for a second.

“But, uh… Thanks, guys,” she mumbles at them, before crossing her arms and sighing to adopt her usual attitude.  “Next time I need some sappy messages written on a twig, I’ll come to you guys.”

Mel stomps after Emily.

 

Laura is still laughing when she turns to face Carmilla.  “Hear that? You’re a hero.”

Carmilla swallows hard, still looking shocked from the entire experience.  “Yeah.” She tugs Laura closer to her with a grin. “ _We’re_ heroes.”

“How’s it feel to be loved by all of Oz and not feared?” Laura asks gently.

“Like our dream came true,” Carmilla answers softly.

Laura grins and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

 

They walk for a bit in a warm and comfortable silence before Carmilla stops and frowns.

“Where the hell did we leave our brooms?”

Laura’s frown matches Carmilla’s.  “I actually can’t remember.”

She closes her eyes and feels a small tingle in her hands.  She instinctively pulls at the force that builds in her palms and, seconds later, she has two brooms in her hands.

“Now I know why you love watching me form fireballs,” Carmilla comments.  “Watching you do that never gets old.”

“Well, I do have you to thank for that.  Mattie said there’s technically no way I should be able to do that without a spell, but it must be all the time I spend with you,” Laura comments.

Carmilla mocks offense.  “You’re just spending time with me for my powers!”

“And for your impeccable umbrella-holding skills,” Laura teases with a giggle.  She steps out from under the umbrella. “I think it’s done raining.”

“Well I guess now I’m useless,” Carmilla jokes and Laura’s pout returns.

She gives Carmilla a peck on the cheek.  “You’re anything but.”

Carmilla grins and leans forward, giving her a kiss on the lips.

 

She slowly pulls away with a blissed-out look and they nod at each other.

“ _Ahben Tahkay Ah Tum Entay Ditum Entayah,_ ” they say in unison.  Carmilla’s broom lifts first and goes higher, but she waits for Laura and they slowly begin soaring off together, with Carmilla slowing her pace for Laura.

“Well, that was one short day in the Emerald City,” she comments as they glide past the city gates, with Laura brightly waving goodbye at the guards.

 

“We can add that to my five-year plan,” Laura replies, holding her hand out as the cards magically appear in her hands, as well as a pen.  “Which I guess is gonna be a never-ending list of things we _won’t_ accomplish.”

Carmilla frowns in spite of Laura’s light tone.  She reaches out and snatches them out of Laura’s hands, and Laura’s mouth drops open as she looks down at what they’re flying over.

“Carm, do _not_ throw my cards into the geyser.”

Carmilla narrows her eyes.  “Don’t tempt me.” She starts skimming over the cards, nodding to herself.  “You’re a dimwit.”

Laura crosses her arms and lets out a huff.  “You’re sleeping on the couch tonight.”

 

Carmilla rolls her eyes and holds up the cards, making sure not to lose them in the wind.  “We’ve _done_ most of these, cupcake.  Maybe not in order or exactly to spec, but…  Year one. Solve missing Animals case. Learn magic.  Eat a Vegetable- parenthesis- just a single vegetable for the whole year- end parenthesis…’”

She flips a card.

"‘Year two…  Learn a spell a day.  Year three, first job as a MAGIC EXPERT CONSULTANT. Dad’s 60th Birthday. Year four-- tour Oz as a magic expert consultant.  Have officially saved the oppressed Animals from prejudice.’” Carmilla gives Laura a pointed look. “‘Read more spell books. Thwart evil ruler. Befriend plucky orphan. Create first spell with Carmilla.”  Carmilla winks. “I’m the plucky orphan,” she clarifies.

Laura laughs at that.  “Okay, okay. Point taken.  Loudly and clearly.”

 

Carmilla smiles warmly at her.  “And the rest are totally doable.  Donating cookies to homeless shelter and volunteering for youth or knitting sweaters for displaced Animals, donating a paycheck to Animal charity?  Meeting the Great Royal Marshmallow, or finding Jack Pumpkinhead Us going to Wizard Con and Magic Con, vacationing in Ugaru Country, road tripping?”  She nudges Laura, her smile widening. “And you’re already well on your way to doing all of your mom’s spells and publishing your first monthly 'how is Laura' updates for Shiz students _and_ winning the Fyter's Fan Philanthropy Award.”

Laura laughs softly and takes the cards from Carmilla, flipping through them.

 

“And we’re doing this one tomorrow, together… _finally._ ”

She turns the card to face Carmilla with a grin.

“ _Graduate._ ”

 

Carmilla sighs happily as she edges her broom closer to Laura’s as they continue to glide through the skies.

Laura perks up.  “Oh! I forgot to show you something my dad gave me after the meeting.”  She pulls the envelope out and holds a letter firmly as a strong gust of wind blows them along faster.

Carmilla leans her chin on Laura’s shoulder and furrows her eyebrows together as she skims the paper.  “Is this…?”

“It’s a letter I wrote to my dad when we first started living together,” Laura giggles.

Carmilla narrows her eyes in amusement and clears her throat.

 

"‘ _Dear Dad,_ ’” she reads in a shrill voice, over-exaggeratingly imitating Laura.  “‘ _There's been some confusion over rooming here at Shiz. For you see, my roommate is unusually and exceedingly peculiar and altogether quite impossible to describe.  There's this feeling, so sudden and new. The things she does—it gets my pulse rushing, my head reeling, my face flushing. It's like a loathing, unadulterated loathing.”_

Carmilla smirks at her and makes a big show out of re-reading the letter thus far.  “Cutie… I dunno how to break this to you… I don’t think it was loathing.”

Laura buries her face in her hands, embarrassed.  “Shut up,” she says with a laugh, muffled.

Carmilla switches back to a shrill voice, still teasing Laura.  “ _Over her face, her voice, her clothing – I loathe it all—every little every little trait, however small. Dad, it's like there's a strange exhilaration in such total detestation. Though I do admit it came on fast... Still I do believe that it can last, and I will be loathing her whole life long."_ "

Carmilla looks over at Laura.  “Well? Still loathing me?”

 

Laura rolls her eyes.  “You know that’s not true. I’m pretty sure I was falling for you right from that Ozdust party.”  She grins. “Get it? Coz I fell through the floor of the balcony—”

Now it’s Carmilla’s turn to roll her eyes.  “Ugh, melt me now.”

Laura laughs and gives her a short kiss on the lips.  “I think it’s pretty damn obvious I was falling for you even before then.  The only other time I wrote to my dad with such fervor was about a batch of cookies my mom had just baked.  I was four.”

Laura’s light tone seems to be lost on Carmilla, who's stuck in her own thoughts.

 

There’s a few moments of silence as Carmilla gives Laura an adoring look, making Laura laugh nervously.  “What?”

“Sometimes… when you kiss me too fiercely, or hold me too tight, I need help believing you’re with me,” Carmilla admits softly.  “When I was growing up and felt so alone, my wildest dreamings could not foresee lying beside someone, with them wanting me. So I put up all these walls and resigned to having no one and no future.”

Laura swallows hard, but doesn’t interrupt.

“And for every moment we have together... I lose all that resistance.”  Carmilla chuckles and shakes her head. “And if it turns out it's over too fast, I swear I'll make every last moment last, as long as you're mine.”

“Oh, I’m definitely yours.  And you’re mine.” Laura comments with a small laugh. “To annoy, or not. To love, or not. To defy gravity with, or not.”

 

Carmilla stares at her so softly that Laura feels the need to reach out and take her hands.

“ _If the Dean hadn’t done what she did to your mom, she could’ve helped you realize this sooner.  Learn magic sooner,_ ” Danny had said.

Laura swallows hard.  “I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason -- bringing something we must learn.  And we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them.

And we help them in return.”

Carmilla chuckles and boops Laura lovingly on the nose.  “Well I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you.”  She smiles warmly at Laura. “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”

Laura nods.  “So much of me is made of what I learned from you.  Even when we were apart, you were with me like a handprint on my heart.”

 

Carmilla leans forward for a sweet kiss, and Laura immediately deepens it.  They both pull away slowly, staring into each other’s eyes, before Carmilla’s slowly wanders over Laura’s shoulder.  She smiles at the sight slowly entering their field of vision in the distance.

“Dear Old Shiz.”

Laura grins, a glint in her eye.

Carmilla looks at her in confusion, before she sighs in realization.  “Laura… No.”

Laura leans forward to give Carmilla a peck on the cheek.  “Race you.”

 

Laura takes off on her broom, and Carmilla rolls her eyes.  She gives her a few seconds of a head start before teleporting several feet in front of Laura.

" _Watch where you're going, spaz,_ " Carmilla cackles from afar.

 

Laura Hollis takes a deep breath as she holds onto her broom about a mile from campus.

She looks behind her, at an Oz that went from hating Animals for being different, to living in growing harmony.  At an Oz that went from condemning a girl because of the color of her skin, to accepting her as a role model.

She looks down on the ground below, where she had stood in the same spot seven years ago, ready to save Oz.  

And as she watches the beautiful, kind, emerald green carefree girl she loves soar the skies before her-- she thinks maybe, together, they have.

For good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started planning and writing this fic in October 2017. As I do with all the things I write, I started doing it for myself. I write a lot of things that I don't feel secure enough about to share, so I'm not really sure what made me decide to share this one, especially because I was convinced there wouldn't be an audience for it. I was pleasantly surprised to find there was one on Ao3 and on [Wattpad](https://www.wattpad.com/story/138728726-as-long-as-you%27re-mine)\-- one that may have not been a fan of Wicked or of Wizard of Oz, but continued reading week after week regardless. I honestly love this fandom's open-mindedness.
> 
> Thank you all so, SO much for reading. I always say how much this fandom saves me, and a large majority of that comes from the lovely people who consume fan works of art and leave feedback for artists and writers. You are all the best.  
> At the moment, the next big thing I'm tentatively working on is a Hollstein [Time Traveler's Wife AU](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/tagged/tttw-au) but that probably won't be anywhere near done for another six months at the least. But I also have some one-shots I've been playing around with, so maybe those will get shared, too! :)
> 
> It's been such an adventure interacting with people engaging with this story! And for any newcomers bingeing it all in one go, I'll still love to chat in the comments below or if you want, you can reach me on [tumblr](http://romeo-oh-nomeo.tumblr.com/).  
> And... until next time... as always, stay awesome! And stay Wicked. <3


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